A Different Kind of HiE
Chapter 1
The Final Tale
~~~~~
The birds are the first thing you notice as you slowly come to waking. They always were a nice wakeup call, actually the probably are. You remember Twilight telling you that today was important, just what was happening today?
It doesn’t matter Twilight will probably tell you anyway in a few minutes.
You get up slowly and grip around for your glasses. As you put them on you look at your surroundings and smile softly and your room, you - and Twilight - have had a lot of fun in here.
Speaking of Twilight, where is she? You turn around and are greeted by an empty bed, sighing you reach for your cane and put all your strength into it, and force yourself to stand.
Crack!
“Ah, that’s better.” You say to your empty room
You hear the door open behind you and a familiar voice say “Good Morning” Followed by your name.
“Good morning, Nurse Goodheart,” You reply.
“Good morning, are you ready for the big day?”
“Nope, I just woke up. Where’s Twilight?”
“She let you sleep in again, come on let’s get you ready for breakfast.
~~~~~
Even though your memory tends to be failing you most of the time, you still remember the day you asked your wife to hire a nurse to take take care of you.
Now Twilight, being an Alicorn, hasn't aged a day since her coronation and when you got older in years and developed plenty of medical problems she insisted on taking care of you reading as many medical books as she could, she even went so far as to get a PHD. But as you got older and sicker, you could see the tremendous pain she was in constantly worrying after you. Even though it is impossible you could swear she was looking older and older every day.
When you finally asked her to hire a nurse she refused and wouldn't let you get a word in until you used a quieter version of the royal Canterlot voice that Luna taught you years ago when you were younger.
For the first time in years you had a screaming match with her until your voice could take no more and she started sobbing. It was one of the saddest days of your life.
The next day she hired Nurse Goodheart and she’s been taking take of you for the last ten years of your life.
You look back at that day while you walk to the Royal Dining Room with Goodheart.
You’re thoughts are interrupted by a welcome sight as a young adult looking Spike runs up and gives you a hug and a “Good morning!”
You greet him respectfully and he starts walking with you to breakfast.
As you get closer you suddenly remember that Goodheart said that something big was happening today, you turn to Spike and decide to ask him.
“Spike, What’s happening today?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember! It’s the 75th anniversary of twilight’s coronation. There’s a party in every town in Equestria, and Pinkie’s planned the one here in Canterlot remember?”
You remember right away what he’s talking about and you start discussing today’s festivities right away.
You barely notice when you enter the dining room and a polite clearing of the throat brings your attention to the pony sitting at the head of the table, who is none other then one of your best friends.
“Hello Princess, and how are you this fine morning” you say with a fancy accent to none other than the princess of the night, who’s having a late supper.
“Delightful Prince Sparkle, I oh so love a nice hot bowl of cereal every morning.” she stares at you daring you not to laugh as she acts all prim and proper.
You fail.
Miserably.
Only when you see Twilight enter do you calm down and smile at her.
She looks at you suspiciously and comes closer.
“Don’t play coy with me mister, I heard you laughing your pants off. You have to stop getting so excited, you're going to get a heart attack.”
You turn to look at Goodheart and gasp dramatically “I thought we were friends, why would you ever attack me?”
She tries her hardest to hold back her giggles and only does so when she sees Twilight’s stare.
You turn and look back at your wife and assure her that you’re fine. Although not looking satisfied with your answer she pulls out two chairs and sits down in one while you slowly lower yourself into the other. You can feel everyone’s eyes on you as you grunt and groan as a sudden flaring pain appears in your hip.
You mutter that your fine and look up only to find that you’re staring face to face with Twilight.
Surprised and suddenly in a bunch of pain you realize that you're lying down instead of sitting at breakfast. You also take an immediate notice that Twilight's crying and trying to talk to you.
“Twilight? What’s wrong? What Hap-” Your voice comes out weaker than usual and a flaring in your chest makes you stop mid-sentence and cry out.
She flinches at your cry and quietly moans your name before answering your questions through sobs. “Don’t-Don’t you remember? We just started the ceremony before you s-screamed a-and fell. Luna just went to get a d-doctor.”
“I-I can’t remember anything since Breakfast” you say lamely.
You look around and realize you’re in the main hall. Hundreds of extremely silent and shocked ponies look back at you. You didn’t want it to end this way, in front of millions of ponies (thanks to the invention of the television 36 years ago). You notice a cameramare has gotten closer to you and anything you say will be on national television.
You look back at Twilight and smile sadly and caress her face with your old wrinkly hand, before another burst of pain makes you cry out.
A steady stream of tears runs from her eyes. As a memory comes rushing to the forefront of your mind and you without thinking you find yourself talking
“Twilight?”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Do you remember when I first realized that you’d live longer than me?”
She gives a half-smile and says, “Yes, you were such an idiot, thinking that I would be better without you instead of watching you get old and-and-” Her half-smile falls and she lowers her face onto her chest and sobs uncontrollably.
You slowly move your head closer to her ear and whisper, “I love you”
She just sobs harder and it take a little bit of your strength to make her look at you. You smile than give her one final kiss as the pain in your chest becomes unbearable.
You faintly hear ponies galloping closer when the last thing your mind registers is that Twilight is screaming your name.
And then, you die.
The End
