In all her years as the reigning princess of Equestria, Princess Celestia had never attended an event that was this sad.
The residents of Ponyville had disregarded the beautiful summer day heat, donning robes and other articles of clothing that were pure black. Black tapestries had been affixed to all the buildings, including the library where the funeral was being held.
As Princess Celestia had expected, Twilight’s five friends took it the hardest. The space directly in the front had been reserved for the five mares.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes were red and swollen, her face tear streaked and her mouth set in a grim line.
Applejack just stared at the ground, the quiet plip of her tears falling on the ground the only thing breaking the silence.
Fluttershy had buried her face in her hooves and was weeping quietly, with Angel at her side. For once, the rabbit’s arrogant and angry expression was missing, replaced instead by one of infinite sadness.
Rarity was just shaking her head, muttering to herself. “It couldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have…”
Pinkie Pie just seemed deflated. A single black balloon was tied into her tail, and it floated casually in the wind. The pink pony wasn’t crying or muttering to herself. She just stared straight ahead as the procession began.
Six stallions, garbed in black and eyes downcast, bore a dark wooden casket upon their backs. The corners of the casket were stamped with a purple six-pointed star. Spike himself was leading the procession, his head held high and his tears flowing freely. Seeing Princess Celestia, he detached himself from the procession and stood next to her side.
Gazing back ahead, Princess Celestia watched as the six stallions carefully lowered the casket to the ground. One of the six stepped forward, scratching at the ground nervously.
“T-twilight Sparkle was a role model to ponies everywhere…” he stuttered.
Rainbow Dash instantly cut him off. “Go, before I break your legs in five different places,” she growled, pointing a hoof in the distance.
The six stallions galloped off, fleeing as fast as their hooves could carry them. The rainbow pegasus cursed under her breath, turning to face the gathered crowd.
“To say that we’re the only one that lost a friend,” she began, gesturing to the four grieving mares in the front, “would be selfish. Yesterday, all of Ponyville - no, all of Equestria - lost one of the best friends a pony could ask for, in a storm that somehow wormed out of Cloudsdale’s control.”
Rainbow sniffed. “Twilight was intelligent beyond belief, always pursuing some sciency-thing with her free time. I used to tease her constantly about being an egghead…” she paused, choking down a sob. “But she was always looking to help some pony, always willing to lend any pony that asked a hoof.”
Applejack gathered her hat from the ground and plodded up to stand next to Rainbow Dash. As she set her hat upon the casket, she said quietly, “Twilight’s th’ only one that could’ve given me a run for my money in honesty. She may not’ve been the strongest pony around, but she’d always be straight with ya.”
Fluttershy joined the two, turning to address the crowd. “When T-Twilight first came to Ponyville, she scared me beyond b-belief,” her voice squeaked and she had to take several breaths to steady herself. “But we quickly became friends, and I’ve never met a k-kinder pony in my life. Everything she did, she worked on for the benefit of others. She would always make sure that e-everyone was enjoying themselves, and if they w-weren’t, she wouldn’t hesitate to help them in any way she could.”
Rarity joined her friends. “She would always listen to you, no matter how trivial or meaningless what you were saying seemed. Her ear was always a patient one, and she would always offer advice on how to help…she was the sweetest creature I’ve ever met.”
Pinkie Pie just slowly walked towards the casket. In silence, she walked past the audience, walked past her friends, and just stood at the side of the casket.
“Twiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! Come baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!” she wailed, throwing her front hooves onto the casket.
“Oh, dear…” Rarity murmured, drawing the pink pony into a hug. Pinkie Pie cried into the unicorn’s shoulder.
“Why? Why did she have to go?” she bawled. Rarity patted her friend on the back, but stayed silent.
Princess Celestia separated herself from the crowd, slowly making her way towards the front. Spike was on her back, his face buried in her mane. Slowly, she eyed the five crying ponies and the casket, and then turned to face the audience.
“No matter what your personal opinion of Twilight was,” she addressed the crowd slowly, “remember that this unicorn was an honest, loyal, kind, generous, and happy pony. She was a sturdy mentor, a faithful student, and a true friend.” She rested a white hoof on the casket before wrapping it in her magic, slowly floating it down into a six foot hole.
“Rest in peace, my faithful student.”
~*~*~*~
“Sister, you can’t keep grieving like this,” Luna prodded the large white alicorn.
“Why not?” Celestia demanded furiously, a picture of Twilight as a filly clutched in her hooves. “Why am I not entitled to grieve for my best student?”
“You have a kingdom to run, ‘Tia,” Luna said quietly. “I can’t do it by myself.”
“I did it by myself for a thousand years,” Celestia snapped back.
Luna winced, but her tone was still soft. “I know, but I’m out of practice. I need your help.” The darker alicorn settled next to her sister. “I miss her too, you know.”
“You don’t act like it.”
“You haven’t been paying attention, then,” Luna muttered softly.
Celestia opened her mouth to tell her sister off, but was interrupted. A wisp of black fire materialized in the air for a brief moment, and a scroll dropped in front of the two sisters.
Celestia was too stunned to move. “No one knows how to send me letters like that. No one except her.”
Luna quickly snatched the scroll up with her magic, removing the seal and unfurling it. The parchment was stained with red spots, and looked unclean, as if it had been rubbed in dirt. Luna’s eyes flicked over the first few lines and blanched.
“What is it?” Celestia asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Read it.”
“No.”
“Luna. Do. It. NOW.”
Flinching, Luna brought the parchment up to her eyes and cleared her throat.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
In all my years under your tuition, we never touched on the subject of death, or life after death. Why is that? Were you intentionally keeping me in the dark, or was there no credible research on the topic? It’s a strange place, death. It’s very dark, and it’s very cold. But I’ve found that if you merely think things, they will pop into existence! It’s amazing, really. It’s like magic permeates the air around me. I really feel stronger than I ever have before here! Still, it’s kind of lonely. I seem to be the only pony here, though I can occasionally hear whispers. Every time I try and turn around, though, I never see anything. But I thought this letter into existence! Oh, sorry, I’m probably just rambling now. I miss you, Princess. I miss my friends back in Ponyville, and I miss Spike most of all. Give them my regards, will you? I’ll keep studying the magic of death. Maybe I’ll find a way to come back.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle”
Luna finished reading and let the scroll drop to the floor. Celestia looked ashen, with her eyes dilated and bloodshot.
“There’s no way…” Celestia muttered.
“What do we do?” Luna asked.
“Send a detachment of guards to Ponyville,” Celestia instructed, “and lead them yourself. See if you can find any pony forging letters.” The words sounded dull and lifeless as they left the white alicorn’s mouth.
“And how do we find them?”
Celestia merely shrugged.
~*~*~*~
The next tuft of black fire came later that day, dropping a scroll at Celestia’s hooves. She immediately dismissed the couple she was giving an audience to (they were going through a rough divorce and had gotten into a fight over who got to keep their foal) and unfurled the scroll quickly.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I found the most amazing thing today: light! It feels like I’ve been here forever, now, so I’ve kind of lost track of the days. I hope these letters are reaching you with some sense of expediency, because I’d hate to be tardy! I think we both remember what happened last time.
Anyhow, onto my most recent discovery; I’ve found that if I focus intently on one spot, I can bring a smidgen of light to it. In my discovery, it seems that death is just a very large, drab world. I still feel myself growing stronger, though, and I’m enjoying the sensation. It’s like I’m expanding to cover everything at once! As I write this (yes, I’m actually writing, just to stay in habit), my light continues to grow and grow, getting brighter and brighter! It’s much easier to lift heavy things, and with a piano as a point of reference, I can teleport myself many miles away!
Oh, but I’d hate to start rambling again. I can only imagine that this is how you feel all the time. You’re the most powerful spell pony in existence, right? It feels like I’m the princess of this new world!
Faithful Forever,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia refused all other audiences for the rest of the day, and had trouble falling asleep that night.
~*~*~*~
Dear Princess Celestia,
I’m fairly sure that now I’m the strongest I’ve ever been, even in life. Hard tasks seem so trivial now, that they’re barely worth my time to do them at all! I still hear whispers, but they’re now whispers of encouragement. They’re nice, you know? Always promising me something, or always pushing me farther and harder. They remind me a little bit of you.
Anyway, I visited Rainbow Dash last night. She was asleep, as far as I could tell. We had a nice conversation until she started crying. I hardly understand the need for crying anymore. Sure, I’m dead, but ponies always die eventually, right? She said that she wished she could really see me again, so I’m dedicating my efforts to find a way.
It’s getting colder, too. I can’t feel my hooves anymore, but I’ll keep writing anyway. It doesn’t bother me much, except that my hooves tingle when I stand. I wish I wasn’t alone.
Your Faithful Friend,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia gulped again. Three scrolls had appeared next to her bed while she had been asleep, and she was now attempting to fly through them. Letting the first one fall, she unwrapped the second one and began reading.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I think I’ve done it! I found a way to not be alone anymore! My hypothesis is that if I can manage to catch somepony at their death and lead them here, maybe we can be together forever! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
I visited Rainbow Dash again. She sure is a mess, if her dream appearance is anything to base it off. She’s let her mane become unkempt, and she’s always crying.
Always.
Anyway, she doesn’t say much anymore. She just kind of holds onto me, crying, and begging me not to leave. I’m struggling to understand exactly how this whole grief thing works. I’ve told her over and over that death is truly a better place, but that just makes her cry harder.
Finally, I’ve managed to teleport fifteen miles! It’s a real benchmark for me! I don’t even think you can do that! I think I’ll go visit Rainbow Dash again. I might have found somepony to bring with me.
Eternally Yours,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia’s eyes widened as she hastily discarded the second scroll and took up the third.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Rainbow Dash says she’s ready to come join me. I knew she would be loyal to me, I knew it. I am the spark that brought the six of us together, after all. Oh, my, I guess that sounds a bit conceited, but that’s alright. There’s no one around to apprehend me, after all.
If all goes well, Princess, Rainbow Dash will be joining me in death very shortly. I’ll keep this letter brief, as I have much planning to do, but I’ll contact you again as soon as I find out if it works.
Your Eager Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Celestia stared at the scroll long after she had finished reading, numb with shock.
“Celestia!” Luna came galloping into Celestia’s room. “’Tia, we found something!”
“A forger?” Celestia asked quickly, hope clear in her voice.
“No,” Luna replied. “It’s Rainbow Dash. She’s dead.”
“Dead?!” Celestia shrieked. “How did she die?!”
“We’re…not sure,” Luna replied, her eyes downcast. “The only clue was some writing on the wall. It was odd, though.”
“Odd? Odd how?”
“Rainbow Dash wrote it herself,” Luna replied, “with a bloody hoof.”
“What did it say?”
“’She’s with me now’.”
~*~*~*~
Dear Princess Celestia,
It worked! Thank the stars, it worked! Rainbow Dash is here with me, and she’s already brightened this place up! Now there’s color, instead of just black and white. Maybe soon, we’ll have grass, and some trees!
Rainbow herself is having a blast. She can fly so fast here, she’s loving it. We caught up on a lot of things, and have actually had some stimulating conversation. We’ve already agreed that we should get the others in here, somehow.
It’s fascinating, really. The only thing I can really feel anymore is just a yawning emptiness. I want more of everything. I already have all this power, and I have a friend. But is one friend good enough?
Your Lonely Student,
Twilight Sparkle
“’Tia, what if these letters are really coming from Twilight?” Luna asked tentatively.
“If that’s true, we’re about to lose four more ponies,” Celestia whispered in response. “But it can’t be possible. I’ve known many powerful spell ponies, and none of them have ever broken death’s veil. It’s not possible.”
“Yeah, but were any of them the Element of Magic?” Luna replied as another puff of black fire ignited between them.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Rainbow Dash and I have decided that Pinkie Pie would be a good addition to death. She really livens up everything that she comes in contact with, so it’s only the logical decision to bring her next. Laughter is kind of in short supply in death, oddly enough.
On a side note, I realized that I murdered Rainbow Dash. Well, some part of me realized it. Want to know something funny? I don’t care! I don’t care that I took a pony’s life; in fact, it felt good. It felt like I was in control of both worlds.
I don’t think there’s anything you can do to stop me.
Your Omnipotent Student,
Twilight Sparkle
“Go,” Celestia said. Luna vanished, desperately trying to make it to Sugarcube Corner in time.
“Oh, Twilight,” Celestia buried her face in her hooves. “What are you?”
~*~*~*~
Dear Princess Celestia,
I saw Princess Luna in Sugarcube corner. Did you send her to see Pinkie Pie off? It was a nice gesture. Luna was positively screaming with excitement as Pinkie’s body collapsed in a heap.
Things are already brighter now. Despite the fact she can’t actually use magic, Pinkie Pie has managed to procure balloons, streamers, confetti, and other party accoutrements. I firmly believe I should have studied her in life a little more.
Now? I don’t give a damn about studying. I need more friends.
More friends. Maybe I should get Fluttershy in here. I don’t know what season it is, so Applejack might be busy. And Rarity will need a little bit of time to arrange some care for her sister.
Your Apathetic Student,
Twilight Sparkle
“I failed,” Luna said miserably as she walked in the door.
“I know,” Celestia said sadly. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do, now.”
Another scroll popped into existence.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Pinkie and Rainbow both love the idea of Fluttershy entering death with us. I visited her earlier today, and nearly scared the poor thing to death. Calmly, I explained what our plan was to her. She fainted, unfortunately, but I think she heard me.
Do you know how the old saying goes? If two’s company, three’s a crowd? It is certainly more lively than it used to be, but still, there’s an aching need for more. Rainbow Dash has it too.
Eternally Yours,
Twilight Sparkle
“Her letters keep getting shorter and shorter,” Luna observed.
~*~*~*~
The day passed with no further letters from Twilight. Celestia conducted her business normally, albeit with a somewhat strenuous attitude. The guards were calling her apprehensive, and were on alert almost all the time for any potential threats against their beloved Princess.
It was evening when the next letter arrived. Celestia was gazing out of her window when the scroll landed on her tail.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Fluttershy’s with us now. She’s kind of in shock, but she’ll get over it. Pinkie and Rainbow are both doing her best to comfort her, as it seems my appearance has frightened her a little.
I really don’t see how. I mean, even though my eyes are pitch black now, I can still see. That’s what matters, right?
I visited Rarity. The poor thing has gone insane, shutting herself in her boutique. I firmly believe that it would be a mercy to take her out of this world. Cheerilee is looking to adopt anyway. I think Sweetie Belle would be an amazing adoption candidate, don’t you?
She’ll be joining us soon.
There was no end salutation or signature.
“’Tia,” Luna muttered, walking in her older sister’s room.
“Let me guess,” the white alicorn muttered darkly. “Fluttershy’s dead, too.”
“Mhmm,” Luna nodded sadly. “We’re losing the Elements, one by one.”
“It’s really her, then.”
~*~*~*~
Dear Princess Celestia,
We’re almost a complete set again. All we need is Applejack.
Is there blood on my hooves? It feels like there should be, I’ve killed four of my closest friends now. But it was for a good cause, right?
Some part of me is screaming, insisting I shouldn't feel empty, that I should stop now. I visited Applejack. I told her that we’re all here, in death, and that we wish she was here. She looked like she was a wreck, losing all of us in a short time. At this point, it would be a mercy to take her with us. Wouldn’t it?
Our world has grown ferociously. There are trees and grass and even a slight breeze. There isn’t a sun, though we can all see just fine. I hope Applejack will love it as much as the rest of us.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
~*~*~*~
Princess Celestia,
We’re all here now. It’s amazing. The girls all say hi. It’s a nice feeling, to have all my friends here. And now we can never die!
We’ve decided that we need more ponies, though.
Congratulations, Princess. You’re first on the list.
