Of Alicorns and The Macabre.
Twilight rolled out of her bed at her home in the Canterlot Castle. It was another beautiful sunny day. Of course most days in Canterlot were sunny. The pegasi pony almost never scheduled anything but now a days. Twilight didn't bother to look in the mirror as she ran her comb through her long purple hair only twice before setting the brush on her vanity. She sighed. On normal circumstances Twilight wouldn’t even bother to leave the castle anymore. Her maidservant Fang, a little pink dragon would do most of Twilight's running around now a days for her. Fang silently greeted Twilight as she left her room. She didn't remind Twilight of Spike. Fang was respectful and obedient even though she talked about her to the other house dragons behind her back, Twilight didn't need any unnecessary reminders of her time back in Ponyville... Spike was gone now. Just like the rest of them.
Twilight removed her crown and threw a dark grey robe around herself before exciting the palace. The bright light of the afternoon sun stung her eyes and she pulled the cowl of the cloak down over her head. Twilight hated the sun, it represented Celestia who had set this curse of immortality upon the little pony. Brilliant rays of light bathed the landscape around twilight filling everything around her in its radiance. Twilight grasped the hatred she felt toward it. Hatred was all she had now, the only thing that kept her going and the only thing she could use to keep her depression at bay at least for a little while. She couldn’t even find refuge in her books any longer. She had to make it through today at least. Twilight trudged onward, the same trek she made every year to the same place and the only time she ever left her room. Twilight walked the familiar path that led to the Canterlot graves. Despite the little ponies best effort her mind began to slip back to the time she had spent with her friends. It had been almost six hundred years now since her friends had left her but Twilight could still remember each and every one of them and all the adventures that they had shared as though it had only been a couple of days since she had last seen her friends but she knew that wasn’t the truth. Twilight began to feel choked up at the thought of her friends and she ruffled her wings uncomfortably. She was so alone now without them there. With no pony to go to for comfort Twilight had to keep everything bottled up to herself, there was no point in making new friends. No pony would ever take the place that they had all held in her heart. Twilight saw the graveyard coming up through the autumn kissed trees that covered the ground. Their orange and red leaves gracing the trees only for a brief while before falling to the ground to begin their inevitable slow rot. Twilight envied the leaves, each one falling after each other. Dying in unison allowed to die as one. Twilight envied them more than anything. Even the trees that lived long after the leaves departed their strong branches had one another for company. Twilight had no pony.
Twilight could see the large monument that was erected in the centre of the graveyard to commemorate her friends and all they had done with her to protect Equestria countless times. She shifted her gaze, she didn't want to look at the place where her friends bodies lay. As much as it hurt to visit them she had promised that she would and she intended to keep her word. Twilight choked back her tears. No matter how many times she came here year after year it was never any easier. She moved slowly around the iron bars until she found the heavy metal gate that led to the entry way. It was impossible to avoid looking at the statue of her friends now, each of her friends perfectly preserved in stone exactly the way she remembered them. The monument was old and moss had begun to spread over the hooves of her friends. For a while Twilight had tried to keep maintenance on the memorial but found that the effort of visiting the grave was to hard for her to continue as often as it needed her attention. Silently Twilight walked up before the statue and sat down. Rich green lichen grew up over Rarity and had spread to the rest of her friends. The happy faces of Twilight’s friends cut deep into her heart. Twilight remembered everything her friends had loved during life and how everything had eventually changed. Fluttershy sat off to the left of Apple Jack, her hair draped over her one eye and her face turned down to a small bird meticulously carved to resemble life. Fluttershy wasn't around to take care of the animals anymore, no one was there to gingerly brace a tiny mouses broken leg or tend to a cardinals injured wing. Twilight remembered how she had taken the princesses phoenix in a noble attempt to nurse it back to health. The memory stung and she forced it to the back of her mind. The carving of Apple Jack was equally as lifelike as that of Fluttershy and her other friends. The pony who had sculpted it so lovingly even remembered to indent her cheeks where her freckles had once graced her gentle face but what had once seemed like a valiant attempt at realism now only acted to remind twilight of what she had lost so long ago. Despite their differences Twilight had asked that the image of Rarity be sculpted beside Apple Jack, she was adorned in a dress of her own design and despite the sculptors best efforts could not truly capture the beauty and elegance that Rarity could embed even in her most simplest of dresses. Twilight still had the dress Rarity had made for her so long ago, altho she never wore it anymore for it had not been tailored for an alicorn.
Twilight sat back onto the grass to regard the rest of her friends. Pinkie Pie looked just as cheerful and optimistic as she had in life. Ever since Pinkie had been lost at sea Twilight couldn't bring herself to go to any sort of celebration, they just weren’t the same without the little pink pony. Twilight's tears flowed down her cheek and dripped onto the bright green grass as she regarded Rainbow Dash. Placed at the top of the monument she had a look of fierce determination on her face. Rainbows death probably affected Twilight the most, she had been present at the hospital when her sickness had finally overcome her. As it turned out, it didn't matter how awesome a pony was death would always find a way. Twilight scraped off some of the moss at the base of the monument with her hoof. More tears streamed from her eyes, she wouldn't give in to her emotions tho. She had learned long ago that giving in would do her no good she would be just as upset and alone as before the crying started. Wiping the loose tears from her cheeks Twilight stood to leave.
“Good bye my friends.” Twilight smiled to each of them. A chill wind rushed through the graveyard forcing the little pony to shiver. Winter was coming and Twilight didn't want to face another cold dead season. She slowly left, dragging her hooves along behind her. More tears seeped from her eyes as she made her way back to the castle.
“Awe whats the matter Twilight Sparkle? Immortality not all its cracked up to be?” The familiar voice drifted in out of the thin air. No, not him. Not now. Twilight thought she didn't want to have to deal with him right now. Especially not in such close proximity to her friends. She picked up her pace, if she could make it back to the castle he might leave her alone. The draconequus materialized before of her with a flash of brilliant white light. “Come now Twilight!” Discord floated along beside her as she continued on her way to the castle. “Is that really any way to treat an only friend?” She flinched at Discords referral to himself as her friend. Just because he had shown up to Fluttershy's funeral did not mean that he was her friend. Her friends were gone and there was nothing any pony could do about it.
“You're not my friend.” Twilight snapped. She just wanted to get home, she just wanted to bury herself in her blankets and forget everything.
“I'm hurt Twilight, truly cut to the core.” Discord mocked her as he floated about. “You know Twilight, who really needs friends when you have necromancy?” Discord snapped his claws the two stood in front of the great monument once again. “Of course they will be a tad more rotten than they had been in life.” He chuckled.
“Don't you dare!” Twilight aimed her horn threateningly at Discord. “I've become more powerful than you could ever imagine, being turned to stone will be the least of your worries.” Twilight mulled over the possibilities. Perhaps she would take away his chaotic powers and trap him in the body of a pony? That would certainly teach him a lesson.
“Now, now, now. Twilight I've only ever had your best intentions in mind!” Discord smiled sheepishly holding his paw and claw out. “I've been watching you for quite some time now.” The draconequus chuckled. “Seems like you'd like nothing better than to see your friends again? Am I right?” Discord smiled sinisterly.
“Go away Discord.” Twilight had studied long and hard after her friends deaths of any way she might be able to see them again. Even with her Alicorn powers she could only go back in time for a day or two and having to return to this present was always too painful afterwards and although she had the time and the resources to create a philosophers stone she couldn't bring herself to preform the rituals even tho she had tried.
“You won't even hear me out?” Discord pouted. Twilight sighed, she had no one anymore. She couldn't even talk to Fang.
“Fine.” She said. “Shoot.”
“Marvellous!” Discord shouted. “You want to be with your friends more than anything? Right Sparkle?” Twilight sadly nodded her head. She would give anything just to be with them.
“But its impossible, I've tried everything I could possibly think of and I'm not using necromancy.” Twilight was adamant.
“Come now Twilight, I wouldn't have honestly used necromancy.” Discord smirked. “In front of you.” He added silently. “All you have to do is pay one teency little price.” Discord floated around to hold Twilight’s chin in his paw. The little purple pony flinched away.
“What could I possibly have that you could want?” Twilight scoffed.
“I've thought about it for a very long while Twilight Sparkle.” Discords voice suddenly became stern. “If you grant me your alicorn powers, then I Discord will grant you to be with your friends again.” Twilight was taken aback by this request. Discord was already almost omnipotent wasn't he? There was a lot about the draconequus that the little pony didn't understand tho. Perhaps this was all just a trick?
“How do I know you're not just trying to fool me into giving up my powers? Say I give them to you and you don't uphold your end of the bargain? What do you even need with an alicorns magic anyway?”
“Oh you know, normal draconequus things.” Discord chuckled to himself. “And I give my word as a being of chaos and devilishly good looks, that you will most certainly be reunited with your friends.” Twilight thought to herself for a moment, she had no friends, no family and no one in all of Equestria that she could confide in anymore. Even if Discord didn't uphold his end of the bargain what would Twilight have to lose?
“What do I have to do?” Twilight asked determined.
“Oh its very simple,” Discord started. “You just need to resonate with the elements of harmony within yourself, correct me if I'm wrong but they were infused to your being after your friends well... After your friends kicked the bucket?” Twilight choked back a sob. “Oh come now its been a couple century, you should have gotten over it by now.”
“Lets just do this!” Twilight hissed, stomping her hoof.
“Very well, resonate please.” Discord snapped his claws. Twilight shut her eyes tight. She hated resonating with the elements within her, all of her friends memories and feelings were preserved within the elements of harmony that now resided within her soul. Making any sort of contact with them was always a heart breaking experience. Memories flashed past her eyes. The first time they had all visited the Grand Galloping Gala together. When they had vanquished Nightmare Moon. All these thoughts and feelings filled her heart and Twilight actually allowed herself just the slightest smile as her soul touched the thoughts and memories of her friends. Twilight felt someone place a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight flinched expecting Discord but when she turned around saw that it was none other than Apple Jack.
“Wha- This is impossible!” Twilight looked around, she was no longer standing in the graveyard with the draconequus but instead was standing on a layer of deep purple cloud, a myriad of brilliantly sparkling stars shone down on Twilight and Illuminated her friend standing in front of her.
“Twi,” Apple Jack began. “You know we never really left you.” Apple Jack smiled and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
“We've been with you the entire time!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she swooped down from the heavens.
“Did you really think we'd let you go on partying for all eternity without us?” Pinkie bounced out from behind Twilight and wrapped her up in a big crushing bear hug. She was closely followed by Rarity.
“A-and I'm here too...” Twilight turned to regard Fluttershy, softly poking the clouds with her hoof and smiling sheepishly up at Twilight.
“I'm so glad to see all you girls!” Twilight's eyes were full of tears as she regarded all her friends before her. “But I don't understand. How come i never saw you all before when i resonated with the Elements of Harmony?”
“Well you really never looked for us darling!” Rarity pressed her cheek against Twilight's as she embraced her. Twilight was filled with joy, she truly was never alone and now that she knew that she could visit her friends whenever she needed them she knew that she could go on forever if she had her friends with her always like they were now. Then Twilight remembered the predicament she was in.
“Oh no.” She said under her breath. Her friends looked at her with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Discord watched with malcontent glittering in his eyes as the purple pony activated her resonance with the Elements of Harmony. She squeaked as the magical power flowed through her veins forcing her pupils back in her head. The whites of her eyes shone with brilliant radiance. Discord laughed out loud to himself as he lifted Twilight off of the ground by her head. Discord seeped the magic from the small pony as it flowed from deep within her. His veins throbbed as he ebbed every last drop of Twilight's power. Discord threw Twilight to one side before allowing his newly obtained alicorn magic to take hold.
“Discord!” Twilight groaned. “You tricked me, you knew all along that my friends spirits were preserved within the Elements of Harmony. Discord turned and smiled as he watched Twilight try and regain her footing.
“Yeeeees I did didn't I?” He laughed. “You really are too much Twilight Sparkle. Discord floated over and coiled himself around Twilight. “And now that you don't have your alicorn powers i'm sure the universe will be taking its tole on you very shortly.”
“What are you talking abo-” Twilight began but never managed to finish her sentence. Twilight looked down at her hooves. Her beautiful purple coat had faded to an ugly grey.
“D-Discord what did you do?” Twilight stuttered as she watched the rest of her fade to grey.
“I'm simply upholding my end of the bargain.” Discord sneered. “We'll to be completely accurate the universe is enacting its revenge on you, you know the universe doesn’t take kindly to immortal beings and to be blunt its correcting itself.” He smiled. “And now you're going to be with your friends forever just like you wanted.” Discord laughed maniacally as he soared up into the sky. “Now if you don't mind I'd like to see how Celestia likes being turned to stone.” Discord cackled then disappeared leaving Twilight alone to her fate. Twilight watched in horror as the rest of her body was engulfed by the grey. She opened her mouth to scream but just then a slight breeze wafted through the graveyard scattering Twilight's body of ashes to the winds.
Author's Note
Constructive criticism is strongly recommended.
Second ever FIMfiction.
