"Doc, is she gonna be alrigh’?" Applejack yelled through the window, not that it did much. The doctor was trying to jump-start Twilight heart again. Unlike most other races of ponies, the medical needs for alicorns weren't explored on thoroughly. After all, alicorns were seemingly all powerful and invincible.
The doctors were handling the case like the would a pegasus’s but at the same time had to avoid the magical reservoir located near the heart and the magical veins throughout her being. They had already extracted tiny fragments of her rib bones from her heart and reservoir and stitched her back up, but that meant that her heart had been exposed to pure, unadulterated magic that had been given no direction or instruction. They had to inject her with something given to unicorns if a similar case happened, but alicorn magic is stronger than unicorn magic, and Twilight already had strong magic before she had become a princess. There was really nothing they could do, but that didn’t mean they didn’t try.
Fight it, Princess." The doctor muttered under his breath as he tried to jump-start it again. He was not about to let her die on him. She had saved his wife and son and now it was time to repay the favor whether or not science said it would work. He would send himself to Tartarus if he wasn’t able to save the mare who’d saved Equestria countless times over. But Twilight had to use her own will power to fight this death and her own magic. He tried, again and again, and again, to shock the heart into beating again. “She’s an alicorn she has to pull through,” he said, attempting to convince himself. Then the magic in the reservoir reacted to the electricity.
The reservoir imploded as a violent force of magic swept through the room and shattered the window Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy were standing behind and sent the doctor flying into a wall. "I cou- couldn’t save her.” The doctor sank onto the floor with a broken heart that had a weight beyond anything he’d ever carried. "I- I ki- killed her." He looked at the hospital bed to see Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, physically healed, as though there had never been an incident, but the heart monitor and all the other equipment read no signs of life. She was dead. There was no doubt. His eyes became unfocused and lifeless.
"NO!!!" Spike yelled hot burning tears were flowing down his cheeks, his scales made them slide only faster. Pinkie fell to the ground, her already flat hair was a rats-nest filled with longing to do the truly impossible deed. Filled with despair, hurt, a hate towards nature, and tears. Her heart was filled with burning with rage, her life felt wrong with one less friend to share it with it. The seemingly endless love and friendship in her heart was burning out.
"Yall just go on an' cry now." Applejack said, comforting her friend, trying to be strong, but didn’t put up a brave front. Now wasn’t the time for that. Now was the time to give her friends the love they deserved. All six of them. She turned to face the others, and each one could see the tears in each other's eyes. "T’is just ain't gonna be the same no more." Applejack said, teardrops falling into Pinkie Pies matted mane. "Nothin' is"
Fluttershy stood in a puddle of her own tears. Rarity had given up on using her small hanky and now had streams running down her cheeks. Applejack’s tears were formimg small creeks that traveled down her face, forming little, stained cracks on her face. "We're suppose to die before Twilight!" Rainbow screamed out of nowhere and darted off, her own tears trailing behind her rather than a rainbow streak. Pinkie Pie though took it the hardest, a loss of one of her closest friends to her was more than years of torment and pain on her.
She was dead. Nothing more was needed to be told. Her life was over there was nothing to bring her back. The girls all spoke to Twilight’s husk and told it how much they’d miss her. Everything was a bit broken though. Rarity abashed Twilight about being so serious about the simplest things yet leaving them before they could finish their most important job, the adventure of life. She thanked her for the memories they all shared and silly things they did together, even if Rarity was a bit hesitant at times. Fluttershy thanked her for all the times Twilight had stood by her side and encouraged her in all the right ways and was willing to listen to what she said, even though she was really quiet at times. Pinkie stood in front of Twilight for a bit of time before actually speaking her thoughts. She said that she was sad, angry and upset because Twilight died. But then she said she wouldn’t remember that, she would remember the good times, the parties and all the good times the most. But she wanted, just this once, Twilight’s permission to cry over her, and what she was feeling now. Applejack stayed silent for the most part but went on about how she couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart was a bitter sorrow, and she wouldn’t forget it, but she wouldn’t hold onto it. Instead, she would use it to prove that friendships do not end with death or time. They’re the only endless thing in life.
Spike, however, tried to talk to Twilight, but couldn’t. Every time he’d stop crying and opened his mouth to speak, he’d be choked on his own sobs again. Instead, he grabbed her hoof and held it, promising to himself not to let go till she lost all of her warmth.
Galloping hooves echoed in the halls till they had finally reached their destination. Twilight’s room. It was Rainbow Dash and with her was Zecora, "It seems Twilight Sparkle did not survive, though there is a way to revive."
"What!?" Applejack asked with a kindling hope.
"There is nothing behind her eye, but Applejack do not cry.
Twilight dies
A legend lays before your eyes.
A battle takes place
There, time's a race
Not only there
You too will have burdens to bear.
This is not to be taken lightly, it was not caused by the tree, only slightly." Zecora said finishing her tale.
"But where do we have to go?" Applejack said a bit too firmly.
"My hut in Everfree, but be wary if every tree." Pinkie could sense Zecora's smile, even if Zecora didn't display it.
Twilight woke up to droplets of water falling onto her face. She was in a cavern, there was a brown cloak draped around her. Much like the one she wore in the Hearths Warming Eve play back in Canterlot. To the right was a warm fire Twilight looked up to see salag-tites dripping water with a few bats here and there. Around her were salag-mites circling her.
She jumped up on all for hooves after seeing this, her horn ready to fire. "You're not a prisoner." A mare voice quickly cried out of the shadows in a hushed tone. "Before you ask loudly, there are thing here you don't want to get to you when you sleep. However the salag-mites are to close together and high enough that those things don't get to you. Oh and don't yell. These bats can.... complain." She raced to get that out as quickly as she could, given what had happened in the past. Twilight took everything this pony had said to her, and allowed her magic to wind down but was ready if she needed to defend herself. "I'll teleport you out." The mare said.
Twilight tried to say that the was no need but she was out in a sapphire blue flash. "Who are you?" Twilight asked in a quiet voice. She just couldn't resist the question.
The mare chuckled, "All in good time child." She sighed heavily. "As for now the one thing you need to know is that you are dead. No mistake, and no I'm not crazy. I'm clever." the mare spoke as if she had rehearsed it. "I only ask for two things.
"What?"
"Your trust and not to scream or yelp if you ever see me." She answered.
Twilight hesitated before answering. "I can't trust you if I don't know you, but I can promise the second thing."
"You're a very bright unicorn aren't you?" She said.
"Unic..." Twilight stopped herself, but did glance to where her wings would be, but hidden by the cloak. She didn't know this mare and it might be better if she didn't know. "Why, thank you, but I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for my friends." Twilight said quickly.
"It's great that you had friends to help you. Here though, friendships are broken and destroyed. 'Friends' will just tear your heart out and hurt you." Her voice raised a bit as it grew hard and cold.
Twilight noticed the bats were beginning to stir. "Calm down, the bats." Twilight said as loudly as she dared, before lifting the hood over her head. The mare silenced herself. She exited the shadows her hood was blood splattered and covering her face. Giving a stern huff turned around and teleported where Twilight had found herself earlier.
"You're taking the first shift. Use your laser on anything that comes in through the mouth of the cavern. Especially, if they're a pony." Her voice cut like stone into Twilight.
Twilight had questions to ask, things to learn and ponies to find. That however could waits till morning. First she had to earn the trust of the mare.
Eleven hours had past. When the mare woke up. Twilight stood still alert and in the same spot with watchful eyes. "Don't have to watch anymore." Twilight's gaze loosened and her body relaxed as she turned to the mare. The mare, at unease spoke to Twilight saying, "You can sleep now."
"I'm fine." She replied. "Besides I really want some answers." there was a long pause before she firmly said, "Now."
The mare still had her hood on when she huffed, then nodded. "Fine, but I will not answer specific questions, no matter the phrasing. When you ask me these questions, I will only respond with a diagonal motion of the head." Twilight nodded, but before she could ask her first question the mare interrupted, "Oh and you may call me Seal, not my real name, an alias. Begin your questions miss....."
"Um...." Twilight pondered to find an alias for herself. T.S.... Those were her initials, what could she make of them. "Whisper, not my real name, but an alias."
Seal gave a snort, "You catch on quickly. Fair enough."
Twilight nodded, "Seal, you told me to shoot anything that came in here including ponies. Why not me?"
"Because you're a newbie, you'll need to learn about this place before you find your own way. Once you learn you're out. No other reason." She paused, "Don't get to comfortable, you aren't staying long term."
"I suspect there is more that you are not telling me. I don't really expect you to tell me the truth to all these questions, but you can't blame me for trying."
"An intelligent one you are. That's good." Seal said. "My turn, what was your occupation in life?"
"Oh... um..." Twilight said hesitantly. "It's complicated."
Seal however kept pushing, "How so?" Twilight just nodded her head diagonally. "Okay then, what's your favorite activity?"
"Oh, reading and spending time with friends. How about you?"
"Learning and surviving." Seal looked over her shoulder as if checking to see something. "Why do you stay when you know I'm gonna through you out?"
"Because that sounds like something I would've done before I met my friends." Twilight said. "How long have you been here?"
"Nineteen thousand seven hundred forty-three years and two hundred fifty-eight days."
"Wait! That would mean you lived in Equestria when the princesses ascended to the throne. Maybe even in during the three tribal period!"
"Yes, I did. Both actually." Seal shook her head, as if shaking away a memory. "What about you Whisper, where did you live?"
"In Ponyville actually."
"Wait, so you lived in the same town as the elements of harmony and that new princess? That princess of friendship? I personally don't think that any of them could stay alive here for long. They are all petty and weak." Seal said coldly. "Especially that yellow one."
Twilight had growing anger as Seal said that. Twilight had lost it after the comment on Fluttershy. "I'm gonna go to sleep." she said very coldly and at a decent volume as she stood up.
The bats had begun to stir. Seal, seeing this, said quietly, "Whisper be quiet! I do not what to have another... "
Twilight had cut her off though. "Look I measured the normal sound waves my voice has at it's colder tone. Then I moved my mouth to have the sound waves bounce off of the walls at twenty-seven degree angles side to side and decend by only eleven degrees. Creating the loudest voice possible without disturbing the bats. Her harsh tone signaled that she was not to be trifled with.
Seal stood there still, her emotions hidden by the color cloak. So Twilight continued her rant more hushed. "The elements of harmony would lean on each other as friends. The yellow one would comfort and heal. The pink one would lighten their loads. The orange one would provide logic. The white one would put in all she had to make this world seem better. The blue one would bring hope with her wild ego. The princess would do all she could to protect them and see them through." Twilight teleported into the 'room' before adding. "You take the second shift, please wake me up in two hours. I wouldn't enjoy our trade of questions and answers at this moment of time." With that Twilight settled down on the ground and fell fast asleep.
Twilight's P.O.V
I was back in Ponyville. I had just returned from the Canterlot Palace and the Sun Summer Celebration preparations. It was the third Sun Celebration I attended as The Princess of Friendship. I remember seeing Princess Celestia raise the sun in person and close up for the first time as a filly. Unfortunately, not many fillies, much less adults are able to have such experiences now.
During the time I’ve spent in Ponyville these last four years the population grew ridiculously fast and outside of the normal growth rate for the population. Last year a lot of ponies who came to the celebration in Canterlot were forced to watch from about a mile and a half away from the front. Towards the end of the day, I had caught the expressions of quite a few disappointed ponies despite how much they tried to hide it. We were extremely lucky that we’d also had a lot of farming land we were able to use out West and the Buffalo Tribes were willing to throw out new ideas on how exactly to grow certain kinds of food in such a dry area. Despite all of this there were a lot of housing problems.
Plotting farmland has lead to a lot of space being taken up by said farms and thus we don’t have as much land to build houses on. We’ve been trying to get ponies who are more resistant to cold to settle the North. Shining Armor and Cadence are doing all they can to help them get settled in. In addition, there are the Canterlot Tunnels that people could live in, but all of the princesses are worried about it. After all, with how often Equestria has been attacked, if there’s a strong enough tremor it would be extremely dangerous for those inside.
As I was walking through the town, I don’t quite remember where, or when, but at some point, I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts and somehow and a tree fall on me. I have had a lot of things fall on me before, but that time, took the cake. Somehow, this tree was able to do the job that a piano couldn’t.
It killed me.
