Author's Note
This short story is in dedication to a young man I barely knew, his life cut short by an accident. This is a reminder of the hope we all share.
What Remains?
It was a clear, cloudless day, a rainbow filled the blue sky in the distance. The kind of day flowers bloomed and foals rolled in grassy fields. A day that seemed full of promise as sunshine kissed the earth, bringing new life each day to the inhabitants.
But rain did fall that day, not from clouds blessing the ground, but from the regal face of a lavender alicorn, sitting in front of five grassy knolls blooming with flowers.
They were all gone.
Of course, Twilight Sparkle wasn’t alone there on that hill, two more alicorns, one snowy white with the mark of the sun and the other midnight blue with a moon adorning her flank. There was also a large but silent dragon standing with her as the second to last bearer of an element of harmony was laid to rest.
The other four headstones, each bearing a different mark and bearing a different name were all in different states of age and worn.
The oldest was emblazoned with a rainbow coming out of a cloud. Rainbow Dash had lived life to its fullest, joining the Wonderbolts at a record-breaking age and rising to the rank of captain in equally astounding speed. Once at the top of her dream, she realized there was much more to life than that, and married Soarin, a fellow wonderbolt. Together they raised three foals, each unique and special, and as Rainbow had told Twilight one lazy afternoon, “There’s a bit of me and Soarin in each of them, and that makes them 150% cooler!” She died peacefully after battling a severe and sudden case of wing-cancer at the age of 57, on a soft bed in CloudesDale, surrounded by friends and family.
The next headstone had a trio of pink butterflies resting on the rock. Fluttershy may have been a quiet and unassuming mare, but she always cared for each pony, critter….and the occasional monster as if they were her own foals. She even got over her stage fright and joined Rarity’s singing group, singing with the voice of an angel to everpony everywhere. She and Big Mac were married soon after they had started courting when Fluttershy joined the singing group. They settled down at Sweet Apple Acres, close enough for her to take care of her animal friends. She and Mac raised nine foals together, each considered themselves blessed to have such loving and caring parents. One day AppleBloom went in to their room to wake them up, and found that they had both passed on together peacefully in their sleep, an inseparable couple.
Rarity had taken the fashion world by storm. She made a wonderful reputation as a generous and well-mannered mistress of fashion that was an expert, each dress individual and beautiful. With all the bits she acquired from her success, she started several charity organizations that helped feed the hungry, sheltered the poor, and provided loving homes for orphans. It was through one of these charity get-togethers that she reunited with Fancy Pants, who had come to give as well. Their long and (extremely) dramatic romance lasted for three years before they married in a wedding that rivaled Shining’s and Cadence’s in Canterlot. Twilight was given the honor of presiding over the ceremony. They both had two unicorn foals that would grow up to be just like the parents, generous and caring for all. Fancy Pants developed a heart cancer, which almost claimed his life, but Rarity, unbeknownst to him, gave up her own heart so that he would live. Though Fancy Pants wept for her sacrifice, not desiring it of her, he pressed on and gave up his noble title and became the head organizer of Equestria’s largest non-profit organization. Its slogan was coined after his late-wife, “Give today, for a generous heart is a Rarity.”
Applejack went next. Throughout her life she worked hard every day for her family and friends, giving it all she had. Applejack became the matriarch of the Apple Clan after Granny Smith passed away and kept the family together. She expanded Sweet Apple Acres into Equestria’s number one produce farm, and with all the new help she got from Fluttershy’s and eventually her own families, Applejack was never short on help. She married the (rather shy and nervous) farm hand Caramel, and they had five foals of their own that grew up to be honest and dependable ponies. Each of them blessed their mother with over nineteen grandchildren and thirty two great-grandfoals that she spoiled rotten. Applejack eventually got too old to work, and her family insisted that she rest and not overexert herself and stay in bed. Twilight received a letter from Caremel that said that when Applejack heard that she said, “If I can’t work, there ain’t no reason to stick around no more.” She then rested her head and closed her eyes, leaving this world behind.
The newest headstone, resting at a freshly dug grave, was inscribed with three colorful balloons that looked as cheerful as the mare that wore them on her flank. Pinkie Pie never stopped. Never stopped laughing, never stopped smiling, and never stopped being just good old Pinkie. She was the one that kept them all together when it seemed that their lives would cause them to drift apart. Pinkie married Cheese Sandwich and together they brought happiness and laughter to all of Equestria. There was even one time they managed to heal growing tensions between Equestria and the Griffons by surprising the Griffon High-King with a surprise birthday party right there in their capital. The King and his nobles were so happy, they realized that there wasn’t a reason or rhyme for war, and surprised the princesses with a treaty that united the two nations into an alliance. Pinkie and Cheese had one foal that would grow up to be the greatest chef in the world. When asked about her secret to such good food, Cheese Pie told them there was no secret but that her parents had taught her that good food was made with a warm heart and with a sprinkling of laughter. Twilight had been invited a week earlier to a “farewell party” for both her and Cheese, and they passed on with a smile on their lips, holding hooves just as the last batch of cupcakes popped out of the oven.
That brought her to today.
Twilight didn’t look much different than when she had been crowned a princess. A bit taller perhaps, thinner, a longer horn, and larger wings. She also had the gently flowing mane that blew in an invisible wind that told everypony of her status as the immortal princess of magic. But her eyes still held that spark of love that united six mares into a lifelong friendship.
Even if her eyes were filled with tears.
“I know you’re sad.”
Twilight looked up at her former-mentor, now friend, with a small smile that brightened her face, just a little bit.
“I am Celestia, but I’m not sad for them.”
“Oh?”
“It’s selfish perhaps, but I’m sad for me. They’re in a better place with their loved ones, frolicking on golden hills and rolling in eternal peace and happiness. They deserve that peace, I’m sad that they’re not here with me, but its better this way.”
She looked back at the headstones with a smile that Pinkie would have been proud of.
“One day when this is all over, when this world is gone and our duties are done, we’ll see them again, you, me, Spike, Luna, Cadence, Shining and everypony else will be there too. Where there’ll be no more tears, and no more sadness.”
She looked back over at her fellow princesses and Spike, who were all like family to her, and she loved them with all her heart. She gave them a large smile that spoke of an inner peace.
“I’m sad now, but I know that eventually that sadness will disappear and love will grow once more. That’s the wonderful thing about our hearts, it never shrinks or is limited. Love is ever growing and is infinite, making room for new friends.”
Twilight gave a small chuckle that chimed like small bells.
“And I know Pinkie wants me to make as many friends as I can, not just her or them. They would want me to continue to love and make more friends while we’re here, but I will still never forget them. Each pony in the past, now, and in the future will have their own special place in my heart.”
She lifted her gaze to the sky above and spoke in a voice full of content and wisdom.
“This is not the end, or good-bye, it’s the beginning and a see-you later.”
And with those words leaving her lips, they all came together in a hug filled with hope and love, looking forward to the time they would all re-unite forever and ever.
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13
