The enchantment on the Tree of Harmony roiled and heaved in a cascading mess of dull browns and sickening reds. Princess Twilight and her friends, transformed into their Rainbow Power state, stood triumphant over the corrupt celestial being that had been possessed by the thirst for omnicide. But they triumphed too late. Her defeat came only after the ritual was cast. Even without her to stoke its dark magics, the enchantment burned with lethal energies, spreading tendrils of darkness along the tree's branches, reaching for the Elements of Harmony.
“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie shrieked, pointing frantically at the sphere of necromantic energy. “We gotta do something!”
“I know, I know!” said Twilight. She powered her horn, probing the sphere, and recoiling as the foul touch of necromancy attempted to feed upon her life force. “Ugh, that hurts,” she hissed.
“What's it doing to the Tree?” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Whatever it is, we gotta take it out!” Rainbow Dash said. She reached out a hoof crackling with her electric power.
“Don't touch it!” Twilight shouted, slapping Rainbow's hoof away. “If you touch it, it'll kill you!”
“Well, we can't let it kill the Tree neither!” Applejack said. “What'll that do to Equestria?”
The sphere bulged, letting out a cold wave of magic as it grew, covering more of the tree. Its tendrils creeped further along the branches, one just barely touching the Element of Magic, jolting Twilight like an ice pick to the brain.
“Whatever we do, darlings, we should probably do it quickly!” Rarity shouted.
Twilight took a few steps back and sent out another probe, light as a feather. “It's no—augh!--good!” she said as the sphere seized on her magic. “It's grown too fast!” She scowled. “Damn her! She put so much energy into it! It's triggered a runaway chain reaction!”
“Oh my goodness, no!” Rarity gasped.
Applejack gulped. “Does that mean what I think it it means?”
Fluttershy held her hooves to her mouth. “It means it's going to grow...”
“And grow and grow,” Dash added morosely.
“Until boom!” Pinkie fired off a small cascade of pink sparks and a firecracker-like pop.
The sphere surged, bathing the cave in its sickly glow. “Boom is right,” Twilight said. “If the sphere grows too large, and combines with the Tree's own energy, it could destroy all of Equestria!” She swallowed. “If not the whole planet.”
“Killin' everybody and everything in the whole wide world,” Applejack concluded.
“So what're we gonna do?!” Rainbow shouted, throwing up her hooves in disgust.
Twilight dipped her head. She let her wings lay limp by her side. Even her Rainbow Power enhanced mane dropped. “We don't have any time left. There's nothing we can do...”
“No...” Fluttershy whispered.
Rainbow slammed a hoof into the dirt. “Come on, Twilight, there's gotta be something! Anything!”
Twilight grimaced. “Unless...”
Applejack said, “Unless what?”
Twilight looked up so she could just barely see her friend's eyes. “Unless something else absorbs all of the energy.”
Rarity reared, eyes wide. “Absorbs it?! Surely you don't mean...”
“Yes,” Twilight muttered. “One of us would have to... to absorb it.” She sighed. “And I think we all know who it has to be.”
“No... no you can't!” Fluttershy squealed, latching onto Twilight's side and crying messy tears. “You can't!”
“It has to be me,” Twilight said, nuzzling into Fluttershy's mane. “I'm the Element of Magic. Who else could take that much raw power?”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack exchanged a look. “No offense, sugarcube...” Applejack said.
“But that's a bunch of horseapples and you know it!” Rainbow snorted.
Rarity nodded. “I'm afraid I must agree.” She raised a dainty hoof, pointing at the sphere. “If that terrible spell she cast has enough energy in it to destroy the planet, well... I don't think even you could contain that much power by yourself.”
“Besides,” said Pinkie, bouncing up to Twilight's other side and wrapping a leg around her shoulder, “Why do it alone when you've got your best friends right here?” She ruffled a hoof into Twilight's wing. “You're the Princess of Friendship, silly, not Magic!”
Fluttershy sniffled. “It... it does seem like you'd need us all.”
Twilight's lips quivered. Tears came to her eyes. “You're right.” She let out a mirthless chuckle. “I'm not magic by myself... it's friendship that's magic, right? But...” She nuzzled deeper into Fluttershy's mane, trying to gather strength. “But you have to realize... if we do this, if we absorb it... we're going to die. There's no way around it; it's just too strong.”
Everyone stood quiet for a moment. “Well,” said Applejack, forcing a shaky smile to her face, “it sounds like if we don't do it, we're buyin' the farm anyway, and everyone else along with us.” She used one trembling hoof to pull on her hat. “Least if we do it this way, we do some good.” The others nodded in agreement.
Twilight looked into their eyes, each in turn. In each she saw the fear, sorrow... regret. Likely mirroring her own. “You're right,” she said. “But... I... this isn't going to be easy. Or peaceful.” She felt her own body start to shake. “I barely touched it and it hurt like crazy. If we do this... it's going to be much, much worse.”
Rainbow Dash nodded grimly, setting her jaw in equally grim determination. “Kinda figured,” she shrugged, a ghost of a smile touching her lips . “Never thought I'd die any other way anyway. Least I'd be with you gals.”
Fluttershy broke into fresh sobs. “I don't want to die!” she wailed into Twilight's withers. Twilight gave her a hoof squeeze until she could raise her head, sniffling. “But,” Fluttershy continued, “but I love you—all of you—too much to ever let you do this alone.” She kissed Twilight's cheek, giving everyone a tiny smile.
“I don't want to die either,” Rarity said, trembling. “But what sort of friend would I be if I stood by and watched you all sacrifice yourselves...?” She trailed off into dramatic weeping, throwing herself into Applejack's hooves. Applejack held her close, giving her a tender kiss atop her head.
Pinkie held herself up, proud and strong, despite her own drooping mane. “This is going to make everyone I love sad... Pound and Pumpkin, the Cakes, Ponyville... Maud...” She quivered, having to fall against Rainbow Dash just to keep standing. “But even if it does, it's for them. To save them! And it's for all of you, too!” Rainbow Dash gave her a squeeze.
Twilight smiled sadly, opening up her wings and grabbing her friends in her magic, wrapping them into one massive embrace. She held them for as long as she dared, even as the sphere of pending armageddon surged once more. “Okay,” she said, a hitch in her voice. “Ready to save Equestria one last time?”
A chorus of “ready!” was the reply. She took a deep breath, and turned to face the sphere of death. “All right, everyone! Formation!” They all lined up behind her, each readying their power. “We're going to have to keep focused, no matter how much it hurts, or else we'll lose control over it, and it'll all be for nothing, okay?”
“You betcha, Twilight!” Applejack tipped her hat.
“We're here as a team!” declared Rainbow, cocky smirk planted front and center.
“Together as friends!” Rarity replied.
“Friends to the end!” Pinkie cheered.
Fluttershy, still shaking, leaned forward and brushed her lips against Twilight's. “Together,” she smiled.
Twilight smiled back, holding onto her loving gaze for just a moment. She flared her wings. “Okay, here we go,” she said. A glowing aura surrounded each pony as they charged their power, aiming it at Twilight. She chanted, not a spell but a declaration that they would never be defeated, those words that had not too long ago been so magical: “From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!”
The Rainbow of Light poured forward to absorb the dark magic.
And the screams began.
Twilight stumbled back, barely staying on her hooves as the dark energy coiled into her like a thousand writhing snakes, burrowing under her skin and tearing through her muscles. “Hold together!” she cried in between her own shouts of pain.
The dark energy spread so fast, she could barely see the others through the tendrils snaking everywhere, surging all throughout their bodies like it was feeding on them. “Sweet Celestia, you were not friggen kidding!” Rainbow Dash cursed.
Pinkie jittered back and forth on her hooves, her teeth chattering more fiercely than in the bleakest of blizzards. “Stay—ah!—strong, Dashie!”
“Oh don't—gh—worry! Takes a lot more than—augh--this to make me cry uncle!”
Applejack bellowed, “I dunno if I believe ya!”
“Just watch—gah—me!”
Less than a minute into the absorption, and already Twilight could see the sphere shrinking, through her muscle spasms. She could barely keep her eyes open, but never let her focus waver.
Rarity let out an especially shrill shriek as she stumbled over herself, falling to her knees. Her Light wavered, almost vanishing entirely under the black. She cried, “I don't know how much more I can take!”
Twilight's eyes snapped open, bulging like saucers. “Rarity, d-don't... you c-can—aguh!—you can do this!”
Applejack roared, “I'm a comin', Rarity! Just hold on!” She took several agonizing slow steps, till she could help Rarity to her hooves. Rarity's Light returned to full strength.
Rarity screamed in her face, but nodded even as she did so. “Thank you darling!”
Twilight took several deep, agonizing breaths, her lungs wrapped not just in razor wire, but ten tons of it, all tangled up in knots through every last bit of her body, electrified for good measure. Her horn vibrated like a tuning fork jammed into a stereo speaker set to eleven, threatening to shatter. But the sphere was giving in, shrinking steadily, even as her heart threatened to burst inside her chest. “We've got it on the run!” Rainbow roared, her wings stretched to their limits, feathers falling off.
Twilight managed, just barely, to turn her head to look at Fluttershy. “Flutter... Fluttershy!” she croaked, her voice almost gone from screaming. “Are you... can you...”
Fluttershy nodded furiously through the flood of tears drenching her face. “I'll make it!” she declared. “I will!”
The sphere dwindled to a tiny speck. Twilight grinned in triumph. “Hang in there, girls!” she shouted. “We've... almost...”
A white hot flood of overwhelming PAIN washed over her, stealing away any breath she had to speak with.
~ * ~
Twilight floated amidst an eerie bluish-black void, filled with twinkling stars. “Hello?” she called, as her hooves sought purchase, finding it after a moment on a ground she couldn't see.
“Girls?” came Fluttershy's voice, as she came into view, fuzzy at first, then sharpening into focus, her normal self sans Rainbow Power.
“I'm here!” said an appearing Rarity, blinking rapidly at her surroundings.
Applejack walked about, her eyes darting back and forth. “Wherever here is.”
Pinkie Pie bounced in the void. “It looks like it goes on forever!”
Rainbow Dash stretched out her wings, letting out a sigh. “I dunno about you, but this kinda looks like the afterlife to me.”
Rarity held a hoof to her chin, her lips forming a pout. “Hmm. It seems a bit... sparse for the afterlife, don't you think?”
“Could be it's just waitin' for ya to spruce it up,” Applejack quipped.
Twilight shook her head. “No, it's not the afterlife. At least, I don't think so.”
Pinkie bounced around her. “What makes you so sure?”
“I've been here before.”
Fluttershy blinked. She sidled up beside Twilight, resting a wing on her casually. “You have? When?”
Twilight blushed at her touch, waving her own wings. “When I got these.”
“Oh.”
“Well we did kinda wonder there for a while,” Applejack said. “If we'd, uh... “
“Zapped you into smithereens!” Pinkie squealed.
Twilight shrugged. “Maybe you did, for all I know.” She frowned, narrowing her eyes, looking around for something, anything other than the six of them. “But whether you did or not, it doesn't explain why we're here now.”
“I think perhaps we can explain that,” came a new voice, startling them all. A trio of alicorns, accompanied by a draconequus came into view, all bearing somber expressions. “Hello, girls,” said Princess Celestia.
“Princesses!” Twilight blurted at the same time Fluttershy cried, “Discord!” Discord gave Fluttershy a sad little wave.
Rainbow Dash growled, flying up into Celestia's face. “All right, Princess, what's going on? Did we win, or what?”
Celestia remained impassive. Luna answered for her: “You succeeded in your task.”
“That is, you stopped her evil spell,” clarified Cadance. “You saved us all, every one!”
“Oh thank goodness!” Rarity flopped against Applejack in relief.
“Hah, all right!” Rainbow bumped hooves with Pinkie, then with Applejack and Fluttershy.
“Gooooo us!” Pinkie cheered as she bounced a happy dance.
“Hold on ya'll. She didn't say why we're here,” Applejack said.
Fluttershy gulped. “Did we... survive?”
Celestia gave her a tight lipped frown, shaking her head. “No,” she said, her voice trembling. “You... you didn't.”
Everyone hushed, quiet, and still. “Oh...” Fluttershy whispered.
“So... this is the afterlife, then,” Twilight mumbled.
Discord chuckled. “Oh come now, Twilight, do you really think the pony afterlife would be so drab and dull as this? Please, have a little imagination!”
“We've used our combined powers to keep your souls from passing on,” Luna explained. “For a short while, at least.”
Rainbow scrunched her face, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”
Cadance gave her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. “We thought you might like the chance to say goodbye. You've... you're leaving a lot of loved ones behind.” Her gaze focused on Twilight for just a brief moment.
“It's what you deserve, for all that you've done for Equestria,” Celestia said.
Discord grunted. “But it's particularly difficult to maintain, even for one as talented as moi, so you'll have to keep it short and snappy. No long-winded speeches, no... oh you get the point.”
Luna frowned. “Unfortunately, we will require you to take turns. If we took more than one of you out of the Aether at a time, we'd lose you all. The souls of the deceased do not remain amongst the living lightly. Keeping you here is the only way to hold you for more than a few minutes.”
Now that Twilight thought about it, she did feel a pull, somewhere deep within, as if she was trying to fly away... somewhere. She shivered. “I'm guessing once our turn is up...”
Discord made little fluttering motions with his paws. “You fly free, off to play harps with the angels and sing happy songs amidst the clouds, or whatever happens to you.”
“You mean you don't know?” Pinkie asked, her voice rising in disbelief.
Discord glared at her. “No, I don't, because I've never died. Turned to stone, once or twice, perhaps! But never died. And I am to keep it that way, thank you so very much.”
Celestia's horn sparked and sputtered, letting out little puffs of golden smoke. “I'm afraid we must hurry. You will need to decide who will go first.”
Twilight and her friends exchanged uncertain looks. “I don't know if I'm ready to say goodbye...” Rarity said, barely above a whisper.
Fluttershy laid on the ground, leaning against Twilight's legs. “Oh... this will be so hard...”
Twilight set her chin atop Fluttershy's head. “It's something we have to do though, I think. We shouldn't waste an opportunity nopony ever gets.”
Fluttershy laughed lightly. “I know that. But still...”
“Yeah, I hear ya, sister,” Pinkie huffed, blowing her droopy mane out of her face.
Rainbow shrugged, splaying out on the invisible ground. “I don't mind waiting if someone else wants to go first.” She had a scowl to her face as she spoke. Pinkie snuggled up to her, burying herself under her wings, withering that scowl to a faintly annoyed glare.
Applejack doffed her hat. “Guess I'll go, if no one else wants to just yet.”
Rarity's eyes bulged. She wrapped her hooves tight around Applejack's barrel. “Darling, you'll... you'll wait for us, won't you?” she said, her voice weak and wavering. “On the other side?”
Applejack gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. “'Course I will.” She set her hat back atop her head, and trotted to Celestia. “Can ya take me to see my family?”
“Of course.” Celestia spread her wings, wrapping one about Applejack. “Walk with me.”
~ * ~
They did, and as they walked, their surroundings turned fuzzy, like an out of focus picture, until the sights, smells, and sounds of Sweet Apple Acres filled Applejack's senses, snapping into view. Yet, despite the afternoon sun, everything seemed... duller, to her eyes. Like clothes faded in the wash, the colors were all wrong. Only she herself was vibrant, full of life, she saw as she looked down at her hooves, orange as ever. The sickening realization that perhaps it was she that was grey and dull to everyone else twisted her stomach. Grey... like a ghost.
Celestia favored her with a sympathetic gaze, then said, “Perhaps you should wait until I call for you.” Applejack complied, waiting patiently near a turned over wheelbarrow. She scoffed faintly at the sight; Apple Bloom must not have put it back in the barn like she was supposed to. Again. She'd never get to tell Apple Bloom to stop again, Applejack realized. A cloud settled atop her emotions, an angry storm cloud of sorrow, leaving her weak at the knees.
Celestia rapped on the door once with her hoof. The answer came quick as the latch was unlocked by Granny Smith, sending Applejack's heart plummeting. The old mare blinked blearily, then her eyes snapped open, lighting up like spotlights. “Princess Celestia!” She held out her hooves in delight. “Well butter mah biscuits, I haven't seen ya in person fer years!”
Celestia bent down to embrace Granny. “Hello, Apple Smith. It's good to see you again.”
Granny beamed. Then she narrowed her eyes, setting her hooves to her hips. “So what's the occasion?” she said, eying the Princess. “Ya don't usually come by unless ya've got somethin' real serious ta talk about.”
Celestia bowed her head. “Yes, I'm afraid my visit is under tragic circumstances. I am sorry to be the bearer of such ill news.” She looked back to the wheelbarrow. “Applejack?”
Gripping her hat for strength, Applejack trotted up, waving weakly. “Hi Granny,” she said, her words coming out all syrupy and thick.
Granny stiffened, going perfectly still. Her face crinkled in a way Applejack had only seen once before, almost ten years ago, when her parents... “Applejack?” Granny whispered. She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut, taking several deep breaths, long and slow, as she slowly shook her head. Finally, in a shaky voice, she said, “Well, better come on in you two. We just sat down to an early supper.”
Applejack followed her inside, if reluctantly, keeping her head down. Granny's reaction already had her about to cry. She wasn't sure if she could bear to see her siblings now.
But there they were, at the table, steaming bowls of corn chowder before them. “Applejack!” Apple Bloom squeaked, bursting out of her chair and practically bowling Applejack over. “You're back!” She nuzzled into Applejack's leg for a moment, then drew back slowly, her face all screwed up. “Why... why're you all cold? And grey?” she asked softly.
That did it. The tears flowed freely from Applejack's eyes, her pride be damned. “I'm... I'm here to say goodbye, A-Apple Bloom.”
Big Macintosh fell out of his chair.
Apple Bloom's face ran with tears. “Goodbye?! Whaddya mean goodbye?!”
“I'm so sorry, Apple Bloom.” said Princess Celestia. “But your sister, and her friends... were lost to us, today.”
“What?” Apple Bloom whimpered. “You... you mean... Rarity... Rainbow Dash... even Twilight?”
Applejack wrapped a leg around Apple Bloom, wincing at how she jerked at her touch, and how strangely cold the filly felt to Applejack herself. “Listen ta me, little sis. You're gonna have ta... ta be strong, okay? For yourself and for your Crusader friends too, all right?”
“No!” Apple Bloom wailed. She clung to Applejack's chest, soaking her coat with tears. “No, Applejack, please... no...”
Applejack held her in the crook of her leg. “I wish I could be there for ya, growin' up, Bloom. Help ya get ta college like ya wanted, see ya start your own family... “Applejack squeezed her eyes shut, holding the sobbing filly close to her breast. She slipped her hat off and set it square on Bloom's noggin, the hat fading to grey as it left her grasp. “Here. To show ya I'll always be watchin' you from above, just like Ma and Pa.”
Bloom fell back on her rump, clutching the oversized, for her, hat to her face. “Applejack...”
Applejack gave her one last sad smile, then held out a hoof to help Big Macintosh to his feet. “AJ,” he said, his typical granite like tone colored ashen by the tears she knew he'd never shed in public.
She nodded respectfully. “Big Mac. It's your farm now. You take care of it, and Apple Bloom and Granny, ya hear me?”
His jaw wobbled as he gave her a brief hug. “Eeyup,” he whispered.
Princess Celestia coughed quietly. “Applejack,” she said.
Applejack nodded. “I know, Princess.” She turned to her grandmother. “Granny,” she sniffled. “I wish I had time ta explain what happened.”
“Oh, fiddlesticks,” Granny said, waving a hoof dismissively. “Always knew somethin’ like this would happen. You’re too much like yer pop, as much as I love that about ya! ‘Sides, I'm sure you'll tell me all about it when I join ya up there in a couple a years or so.” She gave Applejack a crinkly, shaky grin. “Go on. Git.”
Applejack chuckled, waving. Then, to Celestia: “All right, Princess. I'm ready ta go.”
Celestia nodded, her horn lighting. “I hope you rest peacefully, Applejack,” she said. A soft glow suffused Applejack for just a second, creating a noise like a key turning in a padlock. She found her surroundings start to vanish, fade away, as the pull within guided her to her final rest.
“Goodbye, ya'll. I love ya...” was her final whisper.
~ * ~
Fluttershy curled in Twilight’s grip, still shaken, not quite fully processing everything. Which was strange, in a way, maybe, she considered, since she had plenty of experience with death, more so than the others. Wait, no, she chastised herself. How could she be so insensitive, when she knew that Rainbow and Applejack both had lost family before, while she only lost animals. Even if they were her family, so to speak, it simply wasn’t the same.
Regardless, she found this so hard to face. How could she possibly say goodbye to her animals, to Angel? It was just too hard.
Wasn’t it?
Or perhaps she was just too scared. So eager to hide, to scurry away, find some way of avoiding this. But she couldn’t, not this time. She was dead, after all. So now, more than ever, she had to face her fears. Not just for herself, either, but for her friends too.
“Twilight?” she said, curling some of Twilight’s coat around her hoof.
“Yes?” Twilight’s voice wrapped her in love, like a warm blanket.
Fluttershy bit her lip, and her next words were whispered: “I… want to go next.”
Twilight lifted her chin from Fluttershy’s head. “Are you sure?”
Fluttershy looked away. “No.” Her eyes fell upon Rarity, pacing around in circles, and on Rainbow, glaring faintly even with her wing draped over Pinkie Pie. “But… maybe if I go next, I can… can help them find the courage to do it too.”
Twilight’s eyes misted. She gripped Fluttershy, holding her close to her breast. “That’s so kind of you, Fluttershy…” She planted a kiss in Fluttershy’s mane. “That’s what I’ve always loved about you. Your kindness.”
Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed. “I love you too, Twilight,” she said.
“I know,” Twilight smiled. She released Fluttershy, taking Shy’s hoof in hers. “You can go ahead, if you’re ready.”
Fluttershy leaned in for a parting kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you,” she said as she stood.
“I know you will,” Twilight waved.
Taking a breath to steel herself, Fluttershy trotted up to Discord. “Discord?”
The expression of distant, passive amusement he normally kept locked firm at all times wavered at the sound of her voice. “Yes, Fluttershy?”
She set a hoof on his eagle claw. “Can you take me to see my animals?”
He bit his lip, hesitating. With a quick glance to Celestia and the other alicorns, he nodded to her, performing one of his characteristic grand gestures. “Well of course I can, for you, Fluttershy! Please, right this way!” He conjured up a doorway of oak, lined with pink and gold trimmings, with a trio of pink butterflies as a center crest. Ignoring the rolled eyes of Luna and Cadance, he strutted through, followed just behind by Fluttershy, into her cottage living room.
Much as Applejack had found Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy saw her cottage in a strangely distorted light, with herself as the only vibrant thing. But even so, she was met with the chirps of birds and the many screeches and yelps of the wildlife filling her cottage: mice and rats, squirrels and chipmunks, rabbits and hares, beasts of all kinds, even Harry the Bear roaring in greeting.
“I gathered them all for you,” Discord said, crossing his arms across his chest. “I hope you appreciate it.”
As Angel Bunny bounced to the forefront, chittering away for carrots and greens, Fluttershy had to smile at him, despite the tears that threatened to flood. “Of course I do, Discord.” She knelt down to let the animals surround her. “Hello, everyone!”
Angel leapt into her lap, holding out a paw pleadingly. She nuzzled his cheek. “Oh Angel, I'm sorry, but Momma doesn't have any food for you today.”
He huffed, thumping his paw against her leg in irritation. She shook her head. “I wish I could Angel, but I can't.” She set him down, then stood, facing her assorted creatures. “Everyone? Momma has some... some bad news for you.” They chittered and squeaked. She sniffled, and the tears started. Her mouth twisted into a tight lipped frown. “I... I have to leave you all. Forever.”
Angel cried out, jumping up and down in a panicked tizzy. The other animals made noises of displeasure and fear, many unable to sit still. Chaos threatened to break loose. “I'm so sorry, Angel, everyone,” she cried. “But this is the way it has to be.” She sniffed, trying to slow her tears. “But don't worry. Momma will make sure you're taken care of.” That seemed to calm most of the animals.
She turned to the lurking draconequus. “Discord, would you be willing to care for them for me?”
His eyes popped. He spread his claw and paw in deep confusion. “Moi? Whatever for?”
A tiny smile curled her lips. “Because you're a good person, deep inside. You're my friend. I can't think of anyone better suited.”
He shrugged, leaning back on his floating perch, chuckling. “Well, I... I'm touched.” He popped off a salute. “Very well! Let nopony say Discord would ever let Fluttershy down.” He winked at Angel, snapping a claw, creating a large carrot for the bunny to feed on. “Oh I know we didn't quite get along at first, Angel, but I'm sure I can show you how I've learned since then?”
The bunny looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Discord several times, before finally shrugging, jamming the carrot in his mouth and chewing happily.
“Fluttershy,” said Discord, a question in his tone.
She patted him gently. “I know. I'll miss you too.” A brighter smile touched her lips, along with a slight flush to her cheeks. “I'm so proud of you, Discord. It took you a while, but you've really come a long way since we... first met.”
He refused to meet her gaze, staring at the carpet. “Only because you helped me learn what friendship is really about.”
She shook her head. “Oh no. You helped yourself. I just showed you what you could be, once you learned how much it mattered.” She held out a hoof for him to take.
He chortled a bit, taking her hoof in his eagle claw. “Perhaps so. I admit after my... mistake, with Tirek, I've found it ever so much satisfying to actually be one of the “good guys,” rather than just... well, I think for the most part I was pretending, wasn't I?” He snapped a finger on his lion paw, giving more food to the animals. “Though... if I am to be completely and totally sincere with you—and considering you're dead, there's not going to be another chance—I'm not sure I'm going to get along, without you, or our mutual friends with Twilight and company.” He curled his paw into a fist. “I just might slip back into my old ways...”
She grabbed hold, pulling him into a full body hug. He froze for a moment, before letting himself relax into it. “I think you'll do just fine,” she said, letting a few more tears fall into his fur. “You'll still have Princess Celestia as a friend, and I know you can make more now, without me to help. You're ready.”
“I suppose,” he mused, uncurling his paw to rest it on his chin, scratching his beard. “I could try to get on Luna's good side. She does keep herself locked away in a shell, most of the time.”
Fluttershy sighed. “I know how that can be.” She let go of him, and knelt to give Angel one last loving squeeze. “You be good for Discord, okay Angel?” He rolled his little bunny eyes, but gave her an affirming squeak around his mouthful of carrot. She stood, looking up into Discord's eyes. “Okay... I think I'm ready to go.”
To her surprise, even his eyes were misty. “Must you?” he asked, curling and uncurling his hands anxiously.
“You know I must,” she whispered.
He sighed with his whole body, drooping to the floor in a little curling pile. “Yes, you must.” He sniffed. “Goodbye, Fluttershy...” he said, burying his face into his arms and holding up a paw to snap with.
“Goodbye, Discord,” she said as she floated off and away.
~*~
Pinkie squirmed restlessly under Rainbow's wing. Dashie's feathers held none of their usual comfort. So she just waited, humming a tune to distract herself. She was dead, so what? It just meant she could throw a wake! Or, well, maybe not her, since she’s the one who’s dead, but her family could do it. Maud could do it.
And yet that was the problem, wasn’t it? For Pinkie Pie, she lived to make people smile, to bring joy to their hearts, because in turn it brought so much to her own. Sacrificing herself for them was noble, but it wouldn’t make them smile. It wouldn’t help them laugh. They’d just be sad, so sad, and she right along with them. No wake was going to change that, not even a Pinkie Pie wake.
Of course, in saving them, she’d given them the opportunity to smile and laugh when they wouldn’t have had it otherwise, but that was small comfort to the party pony. Small comfort indeed.
Maybe she should just go next after all. Get it over with, so that maybe, just on the off chance, they would be able to smile again sooner.
Discord rejoined them, carrying a conjured box of tissues. He shared them with Celestia, blowing his nose with the sound of a foghorn. He eyed Cadance for a moment. “Cadance, would you...”
She exchanged a brief look with Luna, then nodded respectfully. “I'll guide whoever's ready now,” she announced.
Pinkie raised her head, peering around at her friends. “Rarity? Dashie? Twilight?”
Rarity held up a hoof. “I think I still need more time. You can go, if you'd like.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash murmured their agreement.
So Pinkie wiggled out from underneath Rainbow, bouncing up to Cadance. “My turn!”
Cadance couldn't help but giggle. “Oh Pinkie, even now, you seem cheerful.” She started walking.
Pinkie shrugged as she followed right beside the alicorn. “I'm...” she blew out some air, sending her hair flying for a brief second. “Just putting up a strong face. Inside my heart's all shriveled, like a balloon that lost all its air.”
Cadance wrapped a wing around her. “I can only imagine how that feels,” she said.
Pinkie chuckled. “Daww, thanks.”
“You're welcome,” Cadance said. She smiled down at the younger earth pony. “I wish I'd gotten to know you better, Pinkie Pie. You've always seemed like the most... unique, of Twilight's friends.”
Pinkie beamed. “I get that a lot.”
“So,” Cadance said, as they fuzzed away from the group, their surroundings indistinct and unclear, “who do you want to see most?”
Pinkie's answer came without hesitation: “Maud. I want to see the Cakes too, if that's okay, but if it can't be anypony but one, it's gotta be Maud.”
Cadance tilted her head. “I think you'll be able to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak. Look.” She gestured with a wing, as Sugarcube Corner burst into sharp focus about them. Well, Pinkie thought, perhaps sharp wasn't quite the right word to use. Every color ran like melty ice cream, or cake frosting left in the sun. Even the smells of the bakery were funny, off, almost like she had a cold. At least nopony else was around seeing her wrinkle her nose silly.
She nudged open the door to the bakery, just enough to let the voices within spill out into the street. Her heart soared as she heard Maud speaking. “Thank you for inviting me to stay with you while I'm in Ponyville.”
“Well sure!” came the thready, high pitched voice of Mr. Cake.
Mrs. Cake's more bubbly tones came next: “We'd hardly turn Pinkie's sister out on the street!” A clink of bottles came. Must be feeding time for the foals, Pinkie realized. Then Mrs. Cake spoke again. “Though I do wonder what you're doing in Ponyville this week.”
The laughter of Pound was followed by shushing from Mr. Cake. “We thought you were withers deep in your Rocktorate studies at Rockapolis U. Least that's what Pinkie told us.”
“I am. But something in me told me to be here today.”
Pinkie heard the sound of a cup of tea being poured. “Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like,” said Mrs. Cake.
“Thank you.” Pinkie listened close to the silence that followed. “Do you know when Pinkie will be back?” Maud finally asked.
“Oh, I wish we did,” Mr. Cake groused. “We've got some big orders we need to fill! But she's doing something more important with her friends, I know. Another threat to Equestria.” Pinkie heard him laugh. “Seems like every time it takes them longer and longer. Last time she was out for days!”
Pinkie couldn't stand to listen to any more. She pushed the door open the rest of the way, and trotted in. “Hello,” she greeted, her voice lacking most of its usual bounce.
“Pinkie Pie!” Mr. Cake shouted. He had Pound and Pumpkin seated in high chairs. “We were just talking about you. Welcome back!”
Pinkie waved weakly as Mrs. Cake held up a teacup. “Would you like some tea, dearie?” She pursed her lips into a slight pout. “You look awfully pale. Are you feeling all right?”
Maud, who'd been standing with her back to the door, turned to look over her shoulder. The teacup held in her hoof shook as her eyes widened just a touch. She set her cup down on the table, turning so she could look at Pinkie more closely. “Something's wrong,” she said, her normally rock steady voice raised slightly in pitch.
Pinkie gave her a slow nod, her smile turning down at one corner. “Very wrong,” she murmured.
Maud was upon her in an instant, cupping her cheek in one hoof. Maud's breath quickened. “You're cold,” she said. Her voice shook, actually shook, shaking Pinkie herself to the core. “Like a rock.” She blinked once. “Or... death.”
“Oh don't be silly,” Mrs. Cake said, smiling and shaking her head. “I'm sure she's just come down with Hay Fever or the Feather Flu.”
“Actually, Mrs. Cake,” said Cadance, entering, her wings folded by her side. Despite that she still made the Cakes jump in surprise. “I'm afraid Maud is spot on.” She nodded to Maud. “Hello, Maud. I don't believe we've met.”
Maud stared. “We haven't.” She faced Pinkie, her jaw working, like she was chewing a cud. “What does she mean?”
Pinkie blew out a sigh, falling against her sister. Cold tears, like snowflakes, ran down her cheeks. “I'm here to say goodbye, Maud,” she cried.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked at each other, each turning quite pale. “Pinkie Pie... what... how?” Mr. Cake squeaked.
Maud favored Pinkie with a look as hard as granite, unmoving. “What happened?” she said.
Pinkie let loose a cascade of tears, babbling incoherently into Maud's chest. Cadance bowed in sympathy, and spoke up, “Pinkie and her friends fought a great evil, one that threatened all our lives. But to defeat it, they... had to give up theirs.” Pinkie nodded, spreading wetness into Maud's coat.
Mrs. Cake dropped her pot of tea, scattering shards and hot liquid all over the floor.
Maud blinked very slowly, her lips curling into the saddest frown Pinkie had ever seen her sport. “I... see.”
Mr. Cake coughed, wheezing, barely able to avoid hyperventilating. “Pinkie... dead... no...” he fell against his wife, choking.
The foals started to cry.
“I'm sorry, everyone,” Pinkie blubbered, holding up her head. “But it was the only way... to save you all...”
Cadance placed a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. “It really was. You should all be proud of her.”
Maud blinked, her frown returning to a more neutral expression. “I'm always proud of Pinkie,” she said.
Pinkie's spirits lifted, just a tad, at those words. She threw herself against her sister, holding her tightly.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake, having composed themselves, if just, approached, carrying Pound and Pumpkin, who they were trying to calm. “I don't know if we'd say always,” Mrs. Cake said, her voice weak and shuddery. “But... “
Mr. Cake's lips quirked into a ghostly little grin. “We are now.”
Pinkie waved them closer, and grabbed them all to squeeze into a group hug with Maud, despite Maud's brief wince at their touch. “I'm going to miss you all so much,” she whispered.
“Oh, dearie,” Mrs. Cake murmured. “We're going to miss you too...”
The foals squirmed out of their parent's grasp, wandering onto Pinkie's shoulders. Pound twisted his little face, blinking. “Pinkie?” he squeaked.
Pumpkin imitated her brother. “Pie?” she said.
Pinkie rubbed their little heads with one hoof, making them giggle. “Especially you two!” She looked at Maud. “Do you think maybe you could... be their auntie for me, now?”
Maud arched an eyebrow, staring at the wrinkly little foals smiling at her. “Anything for you, Pinkie,” she said after a moment.
“Thank you,” Pinkie breathed.
Cadance's horn let out a slight shower of sparks. “Pinkie,” she spoke up. “I'm sorry, but... it's time to go.”
Pinkie nodded. She placed Pound and Pumpkin into their parent's grasp, then gave Maud one last farewell hug, before trotting for the door.
“Wait,” said Maud, holding up a hoof. Both Pinkie and Cadance turned to look at her. Maud stared at the alicorn. “Thank you, for giving us the chance to say goodbye.” As her gaze fell upon Pinkie, her lips twitched into a little smile. “I love you, Pinkie.”
Pinkie let out a bubbly, if teary, giggle. “Love you too, Maud.”
Cadance guided her outside, firing up her horn. Pinkie gave one last teary farewell wave as everything faded away.
~ * ~
Rarity paced restlessly, carving little circles around Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Applejack's departure had left her listless, more so than she would have expected, and if she was truthful to herself, well, she couldn't quite stand to wait anymore. Not that she was eager to... depart, but neither did she want to hang around in this frustrating state of limbo.
Yet she’d held back, before now, because she was scared. So scared of what she might find, on the other side. If there was an other side, she gulped. For all she knew, as soon as her friends left, that was it, all she wrote, never to be seen again. Foolish thoughts, of course. Surely the Princesses and Discord wouldn’t help them the way they were, telling them about the afterlife, if they thought it didn’t exist? So it had to, surely.
She tried to distract herself with thoughts of Sweetie Belle, of her parents, how her parents had always been supportive of her endeavors even if she was turning her back on the family business. But thinking of Sweetie Belle, how attached she was to Rarity, just made her heart ache so much more. Her mind turned back to the fear of the afterlife just to get away from how painful that was.
So the fear wormed away within her, so she let Fluttershy and Pinkie go before her, as she paced more and more, and would’ve worn tracks in the ground if she could see it. It wore down her patience, further and further, until she reached a snapping point.
When Cadance returned, Rarity stepped forward straight away. “May I be next?”
The four keeping them bound exchanged various looks. “If you are willing, I shall guide you,” Princess Luna announced.
“Oh thank you, thank you,” Rarity gushed, walking beside the impassive alicorn, so aloof and cold she was.
Princess Luna gave her a respectful nod. “You are most welcome, Rarity.” She turned her gaze upon Rarity, and Rarity couldn't help a cold shiver at those piercing eyes. “If I may say, you seem frightened.”
“Frightened?” Rarity squeaked. She scoffed, waving a hoof. “Whatever for?”
Luna gave her a pointed stare. “I think you could tell me that.”
Rarity shrugged, letting out a little laugh. “Oh but there's nothing to be frightened about! I'm just dead, about to tell my one and only sister about how dead I am, and then I go off to... to...” She trailed off.
Luna nodded. “You are afraid of what the afterlife holds for you.”
Rarity bowed her head. “More... afraid there isn't one at all. That it's just poof! And we're gone.”
“I see.” Luna spread her wings, her face crinkling into a cool smile. “Why is that? You did not seem worried about this earlier.”
“Oh, well...” Rarity sighed. “I suppose I wasn't at first, but, after Applejack left, and then Fluttershy, and Pinkie...” Her throat filled with cotton. “I just want to be sure I... I'll be with them. And I've never been the most spiritual of mares.” Her cheeks flushed. “I can't remember the last time I attended services.”
“Then allow me to assure you, Rarity,” Luna said, her voice rising, “that you have nothing to fear! The afterlife is very real indeed.” She halted in her step, and held up a hoof to her ears. “Listen, Rarity, and you will hear them.”
Rarity frowned, her brow furrowing, but she obeyed, stopping, focusing on that strange pull she'd felt since they'd appeared in the Aether. She could hear light whispering... voices... a soft country twang... “Applejack!” she gasped.
“You see?” Luna's smile widened. “You will not simply... poof.”
Rarity's lips quirked. Her heart rose in spirit, buoyed with new strength. “Thank you, Princess Luna.” She held her head high, trying to regain some of her usual demeanor. “I'm ready to see my family now.”
“As you wish.”
They walked anew, till Rarity found herself in her parent's house, in the foyer. She made a face. “Since when did they have such... drab taste in decor?” she muttered.
Animated chattering and her mother's great heavy guffaws spilled forth from the dining room, off to one side. The squeaky voice of Sweetie Belle raised a lump in Rarity's throat. Her stomach churned, her breathing quick and heavy. “Maybe I'm not so ready after all,” she breathed. She gave Luna a brief look, but the alicorn simply stood back, aloof, waiting. “Well, here I go, then,” she said. She nudged open the door.
Sweetie Belle spotted her instantly, her face lighting up. “Rarity!” she squeaked.
Hondo Flanks gave her a wave over his plate of corn. “Oh hey there, Rarity. Didn't hear ya come in!”
Rarity took a shaky breath, and gave them a strained smile, her teeth clenching just a bit. “Hello, Sweetie Belle, mother, father.”
Cookie Crumbles beamed. “Rarity, good to see ya honey!” She leaned back in her chair. “What's the occasion? Is it time to for you to take Sweetie Belle this week already?” She rubbed her chin. “I thought that was tomorrow.”
Sweetie Belle stood up on her chair. “I can pack my stuff right now! Just give me a sec.”
“No!” Rarity shouted, holding out her hoof. Sweetie froze. “No,” Rarity said more gently. “That... that won't be necessary. I...” The cotton filled her throat again, coating her words so they stuck, barely able to come out. “I won't be able to spend time with you anymore.”
Sweetie Belle scrunched up her face, eying Rarity. “Huh? Why not?” She blinked, then her eyes lit up along with a fresh smile. “Oh! Are you moving into the castle finally, like you've been wanting to?” She bounced in her chair. “Can I help? I can totally help move all your stuff if you need it.”
Rarity's eyes misted up, making it difficult to see Sweetie clearly. “I wish that was why...” she said. “But, but no, that's not it. I... I...”
Cookie pushed her chair out and stood, her face touched with concern. “Rarity, what's wrong?”
Rarity took one last deep breath to summon up her strength. “I'm here to say goodbye,” she uttered.
Hondo raised his eyebrows, his mouth puckering. “Goodbye? What, you goin' on a trip?”
Oh damn how difficult this was, Rarity thought. She glanced back into the foyer, catching Luna's sight, hoping Luna could read the pleading in her eyes.
Luna nodded in understanding, folding her wings so she could enter the dining room. “Perhaps I can assist in clearing things up,” she said.
Hondo and Cookie's eyes popped, shrinking back in surprise. “Princess Luna?” Sweetie said. She crossed her forelegs. “Am I dreaming again?”
Luna shook her head. “I am afraid not, Sweetie Belle. Your sister has met with tragedy, today.”
“Tragedy?” Sweetie mouthed, her expression drooping. She hopped off her chair, approaching her sister. After a moment's hesitation, she wrapped her legs around Rarity in an embrace. Then she drew back. “Cold... Rarity...” her voice trembled. “You're so cold...”
“Not just cold, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity whispered. “I died today.”
Sweetie burst into tears. “No! Rarity!” Her face hardened as she shot off a fiery glower. She pounded her hooves into the carpet. “No! I won't let you! You can't! You're supposed to be there for me!” She collapsed, shaking, soaking the carpet. “You're supposed to be there for me...”
Rarity scooped up her sister, holding her close, sharing in the shaky sobs. “I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle...”
Hondo stood up next to his wife, placing a hoof around her shoulder, his face set with wobbly jowls. His eyes drilled into Luna. “What happened? What happened to our daughter?” he demanded.
Luna returned his gaze with her own steely eyes. “Your daughter, and her closest friends, sacrificed their lives to save the world.”
“Her friends too?” Cookie gasped.
“Indeed.” With that, Luna swooped about, returning to the foyer.
“No... no!” Sweetie shouted anew.
Rarity cooed, making little noises, trying to calm her sister. “Listen to me, Sweetie, darling, please.” Sweetie sniffled, but quieted. “I want you to know that I love you very, very much. Whatever our... differences, at times... you are still my little sister, and I will always love you.”
Sweetie buried her face into Rarity's chest. “I love you too, big sis,” she weeped.
Rarity kissed her atop her head. “I'd like you to be there, for your friends too. They... I think they will need you as much as you may need them, now.”
Sweetie nodded. She wriggled out of Rarity's grasp. “I... I should go get my things, then. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo...”
Rarity nodded in understanding. “Of course, Sweetie. Don't wait on my account.” She gave Sweetie one last squeeze, and let the little filly run off. “Oh Sweetie...” she whispered.
She turned to her parents, who hovered, quite shell shocked, staying quiet. “Mother, Father, I...”
Cookie gave a trembling nod. “Y-you don't have to say anything, Rarity.”
Hondo placed a hoof over Cookie's. “We know. Can't say we understand, but we know.”
“I'm glad,” Rarity said. She bit her lip. “Can you, then, perhaps, do me a favor? My Boutique, the money, I... I want it all to go to charity, to help the children of the town, to pay for schooling. Scholarships. I understand there are a few children in particular that want to attend university.” She looked pointedly in the direction Sweetie had fled in.
They exchanged a look. Cookie's lips quirked slightly into a smile for just a second or two. “Sure thing.”
“We'll do our best,” Hondo agreed.
Rarity sniffled, a few last tears running down her cheeks. “Thank you. G... goodbye.”
Cookie burst into tears, and to Rarity's shock, Hondo joined her. “Goodbye, Rarity,” Cookie choked out.
Rarity gave them a last wave, then joined Luna in the foyer. For a scant moment she thought she caught sight of Sweetie Belle on the staircase, but she might have been imagining it. Regardless, she'd said her piece, and Sweetie would need... far more time than she had to give.
“I'm ready,” Rarity said.
Luna's horn sparked for only a second. “Rarity,” she spoke.
Rarity arched her brows. “Yes?”
The alicorn pursed her lips, then let them widen into a smile. “I will watch over Sweetie Belle for you. I can see she will need it.”
Rarity gasped, holding up her hooves to her mouth. “Thank you...” she cried. “That's... that would be so wonderful, thank you!”
Luna lit her horn. “It is what I can do for you. May your spirit find the rest you seek in the afterlife, Rarity.”
Rarity felt a sharp pull in her belly lift as her surroundings faded away. “I hope so...” she whispered.
~ * ~
Rainbow Dash hated waiting. Big surprise to anyone who knew her, of course, but hey, she did. But she wasn't about to go running off first either, because then she'd be stuck waiting for them on the other side. That, and, well... maybe they all had loved ones they were leaving behind, but there were only a few ponies alive that mattered to Rainbow Dash, all but one of whom had died right by her side. Her family... only one who ever cared about her was her dad, and he'd already kicked the bucket twelve years back.
She was angry, she realized. Much more angry than she would’ve thought. Thrillseeking Dash, eager to risk her life, because who the hell cared if she lost it? No one alive, that’s who. Least till she made the friends she had in Ponyville. Pinkie in particular… Rainbow should’ve known she’d turn out to be a fantastic marefriend, after the whole mess with Gilda. But still, even after making friends, after finding the best marefriend she could ever have, and after finding the most awesome little filly to have as a little sister, she still found herself taking risks she probably never should have.
And now that it had actually killed her, she was furious about it. Pinkie deserved better. Her friends deserved better. And especially, especially Scootaloo deserved better. That little squirt, her parents had abandoned her, just like Dash’s mom had. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she lived in Ponyville, she’d be living on the streets, just like Dash had. It was only by the grace of the Mayor that Scoots kept her little shack of a house, given a stipend so she could buy food. Dash had been funneling money into that for a long time even before unofficially adopting Scoots as her little sister. Not like she had anything else to spend her money on. And she’d had enough sense to prepare a will, so everything she had left would go to Scootaloo. She deserved it. And damn it, she deserved a proper goodbye too.
So, with it down to just her and Twilight, Rainbow laid down the question: “You wanna go next?”
The response wasn't quite what she expected though: “I'd like to go last, actually, if that's okay.”
Well, far be it from Rainbow Dash to deny a wish to a dead mare. “Fine by me.”
With a last shrug, she turned away, saying, “Guess it's my turn now.”
Princess Celestia stepped forward, a bit teary eyed. “Then let me guide you, Rainbow Dash.” She set off, leaving Rainbow to keep close behind. “Who would you like to see? Your parents? Family?”
Rainbow snorted. “Not much point in that.” Her nostrils flared. “There's really only one little filly I wanna see right now anyway.”
A soft smile crossed Celestia's features. “As you wish.” The void surrounding them transitioned seamlessly into the orchard just outside the Crusader's clubhouse. Inside she could hear humming, and the sounds of tools on metal.
Celestia stepped off into a small copse of trees. “I'll be here when you're ready.”
“Thanks, Princess.” Rainbow Dash took a few quick breaths, rocking on her hooves and rolling her shoulders and wings, getting all loose and limber, like she was about to race. In a sense she was, she supposed, though not quite like her normal schtick. She lifted a hoof to take the first step on the ramp, finding it curiously difficult to set down. After a moment she managed to, and the rest of her steps were faster, if still rather slow and plodding.
She knocked a hoof on the clubhouse door. “Hey squirt!” she called.
A gasp and the thud of metal on wood preceded the door being flung open. “Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said in delight, eyes full of stars.
Rainbow cocked her head. “Mind if I come in?”
Scootaloo grinned ear to ear, falling over herself in the process of moving out of the way. “Sure! I was just working on my scooter,” she said, tripping over one loose wheel.
Rainbow Dash ducked to fit her head through the door. She eyed the scooter, cocking her head in approval. “Nice job you're doing with it too.” Spotting a few jars of paint, she added, “Gonna give it a new look?”
“You bet!” Scootaloo cheered. “Gonna make it way cooler!”
“Awesome,” Rainbow flashed her a wink.
Scootaloo's cheeks flushed, a giggle escaping her lips. “So what brings you by?”
Ah, right, yes. That. Rainbow blew air through her teeth. “About that... you, uh, might wanna sit down for this one, Scoots.”
Shrugging, Scootaloo complied, planting her rump on a beanbag. “What's up?” she asked, her tone carrying a hint of hesitation.
Rainbow flopped down on the beanbag next to her, wrapping a wing around Scootaloo's shoulder. Scootaloo shivered at her touch, she noticed. “So... you know me and my friends, sometimes get together to... you know...”
“Save the day?” Scootaloo provided.
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, that. Well, this time, something kinda sorta... went wrong.”
The little filly froze. “W-went wrong?” she parroted.
Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut. “We... didn't make it.”
Scootaloo blinked rapidly in confusion. “You... what?” Her breaths became quick, anxious. She stared at Rainbow's wing, then up at her face. She shook her head furiously. “No, wait, if you “didn't make it,” that means you—“
“Died?” Rainbow chuckled mirthlessly. “Yep. Got it in one, kid.”
Scootaloo barked a laugh, her eyes watering. “How can you be dead if you're right here?” she said.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. She held up a hoof and touched it to Scootaloo's face, nodding when Scootaloo shrunk back from the chill. “Does that feel like a living hoof to you?”
For a few moments, Scootaloo didn't answer. Instead, she stared at the floor, pawing at it with her rear hoof, sniffling as her cheeks became wet. “No...” she muttered finally.
“Listen, Scootaloo,” Rainbow said, pulling the filly closer with her wing. “I don't have all that long before I gotta go, but before I do, I wanted to say some things, kay?” Scootaloo gave her a shaky nod. Rainbow continued, “You're amazing, got that? A-maze-ing. I don't just say that to anypony. You're one of the coolest fillies I know. I mean, just look at that scooter!” She gestured to the partially disassembled vehicle. “You think just any filly's gonna ride that thing like you do? Heck no!
“But that's not what really makes you awesome, even though it is really cool.” She nudged under Scootaloo's chin. “No, what really makes you awesome, Scoots, is how you never give up, no matter what life throws at you. You're... honestly, Scootaloo, I gotta break it to ya: I kinda wish you were my sister by blood, not just by association.” She let out a laugh. “Woulda made growing up in Cloudsdale a heck of a lot better than it was.”
Scootaloo's cheeks flushed through her tears. “You really mean that?”
Rainbow smirked. “Would I say any of that if I didn't?” She knelt down and gave the filly a hug more tender than she would've thought she was capable of. “I just... I'm sorry I can't keeping being the sister you need.”
Scootaloo let out a wail, gripping Rainbow Dash around the waist. “Please don't go, Rainbow Dash!”
Despite herself, Rainbow Dash's own eyes were wet. Just a bit though. “Wish I didn't have to, Scoots, trust me.” She withdrew from Scoot's grasp, then prodded Scootaloo in the chest. “Never stop being awesome, kid. And chin up there. I want you to be there for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, 'kay? They lost their sisters today too.”
Scootaloo nodded, spilling tears into the wooden floor. “I can do that.”
“Knew you could.” Rainbow tousled Scootaloo's mane, then stood. “I gotta jet. Take care of yourself, Scootaloo.” She burst through the door, hoping speed could help her stave off the flood that threatened to break.
“Goodbye, Rainbow Dash!” she heard Scootaloo shout. Rainbow gave a last wave of her wing, then flew for the copse of trees where Celestia waited, even as she heard the thunder of galloping hooves and a pair of approaching filly voices.
She found Celestia waiting patiently. Ruffling her feathers, she said, “Guess I'm ready as I'll ever be, Princess.”
Celestia knelt down, embracing her. Rainbow was too shocked to do anything other than stand there in Celestia's grip. “I'm sorry you were never able to reconcile with your family, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow's shocked, angry gaze softened. “It's cool. I found new family a while ago, up there.” She gestured at the clubhouse. “Just hope she has better luck than I did.”
“I think she'll be just fine,” Celestia smiled. She let Rainbow go, and lit her horn. “As will you be, with your friends. May you all rest in peace.”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth opened in a yawn as her surroundings started to fade. “Rest… a nap sounds pretty good right about now…” she said.
~ * ~
Twilight sat patiently, legs folded underneath her, wings by her side. The pull deep within had strengthened as each of her friends departed in turn, becoming harder to resist, even with the help of the others. She'd begun to hear strange noises, too, almost like whispers in the dark. Nothing super unsettling, she supposed. Probably just her nerves. It was strange, she thought, just how... nonchalant, so to speak, she was being about this. After all, she'd died. Killed herself, and her friends to boot, to save the world. Under more normal circumstances, she'd be questioning herself, running over every possibility in her mind, wondering if she could've done things differently, if there was a way to stop the Armageddon Spell without sacrificing them all.
But these circumstances were hardly normal, and Twilight had already decided it simply wasn't worth the effort. There would be no more second chances, not for her, not for her friends. No point in figuring out what to do next time, when there wouldn't even be a next time. Especially not when she had far more important things to consider. Like how best to say goodbye, to Spike especially. He’d been the centerpiece of everything good in her life ever since she’d hatched him, in one way or another. Especially when it came to Fluttershy, she recalled, smiling at the memories, how it was Spike who’d given her the kick in the butt she needed to actually say something to Fluttershy, and how Fluttershy had giggled shyly and accepted her offer of a date. It was certainly a learning process, their relationship, both making mistakes along the way, but finding they just… clicked, together.
And it was all thanks to Spike. Spike, who’d been there for her through thick and thin, who’d helped her on so many other occasions. Her only regret, she decided, was that he wasn’t going to have her there for him as he matured, like he should have.
“Twilight?” said Celestia, startling the younger alicorn from her reverie. “It's time.”
Twilight nodded, rising to her hooves. She looked to Luna, and Discord, both of whom stood with expressions she found oddly unreadable. “Thank you, both of you, for everything you've done,” she said.
Discord waved his eagle claw dismissively. “Think nothing of it.”
Luna bowed. “It was the least I could do, for all that you and your friends have done for me.”
“Ready to go, little sis?” Cadance said, as she and Celestia fell in on either side of Twilight.
Twilight smiled up at them. “Cadance... Celestia... I...”
Cadance knelt down to nuzzle her cheek. “I'm going to miss you a lot, Twilight. Not just because you were my favorite foal to sit for, either.” Her smile turned sorrowful. “You're one of the best ponies I know, or ever will know. You didn't deserve...”
Celestia nuzzled Twilight's other cheek. “I am so proud of you, Twilight, for all that you've accomplished in your life, tragically cut short it may have been.” Fresh tears brimmed in her eyes. “You will always be the student I treasure most dear in my heart. You will never be forgotten.”
Twilight's own eyes watered. “I love you both, you know.”
Celestia nodded sadly. “We know.”
Twilight stretched out her wings, wrapping them both close and tight, for several long moments. Then she released them. “I think you know who I want to see,” she said.
“We do,” Cadance smiled. The trio of alicorns walked together, as one, till they appeared in the throne room of Twilight's castle, where Spike and Shining Armor waited atop two of the thrones, fidgeting impatiently.
“Twily!” Shining blurted, launching off the throne to meet her face to face. “Oh, finally! Cadance said something had happened, and asked me to meet you here, but she refused to say what it was about. Said you'd tell us.” He popped off a glare at his wife, which she responded to with a blush and a shrug.
“Twilight!” Spike burst into a leaping hug, almost tackling Twilight to the floor. “What happened?! Did you all beat... her?”
Twilight held him in her foreleg. “We did, but...”
He stared at her, claws gripping her coat. “But?”
She gulped, saying, “But we lost our lives in the process.”
Spike's jaw fell open. “What?” he breathed.
Shining Armor reared, gritting his teeth. His nostrils flared as he shoved his face up in Celestia's, eyes blazing. “Is this true?” he growled, his tone threatening serious retribution if she was jerking his chain.
Celestia gave him a somber nod. “It is.”
Shining let out a gasp, stumbling back on his hooves into one of the thrones. “No...” he whispered.
Spike held his claws out, his face twisting into a hundred different emotions. “Why? How?!”
Twilight bit her lower lip, a lump forming in her throat. Her words came out all syrupy and thick. “We... it was the only way. She'd cast a spell on the Tree of Harmony, a necromantic ritual that was building fast. If we let it run its course, it would've destroyed the entire world, not just Equestria! The only way to stop it was to absorb it, every last scrap of energy.” She bowed her head. “It was too much, even for all of us. No one could absorb that much necromantic energy and live.”
“B-b-b-but, there had to be some other way!” Spike babbled.
“There wasn't time!” Twilight shouted. Her mouth fell open when she saw how he recoiled at the strength of her words. She sighed, continuing more quietly. “This was always a risk, Spike. Almost every foe we've faced has tried to kill us. Nightmare Moon, the changelings, Sombra... Tirek...” She knelt down to place a hoof on his shoulder. “This time we finally met our match. I am sorry it happened, I really am, but we did what we had to do.”
“She's right, Spike,” said Shining Armor, shaky and pale. He slammed a hoof into the crystal floor, cracking it. “Damn it! She's right…”
Twilight wrapped a wing around Spike, holding him close. “I'm here to say goodbye. I've been allowed that.” The sensation deep in her tugged, the sound of voices louder, more distinct. “I won't be able to stay for much longer.”
Spike cried, great heaving sobs that shook his little dragon body. “But what's going to happen to me now?”
Celestia lay a hoof on his cheek. “You will always have a home with me, Spike.”
“And with us, in the Crystal Empire,” said Cadance.
“Absolutely,” Shining agreed. He gave Twilight a shaky smile. “Twily, we'll take good care of him, don't worry.”
“Wouldn't doubt it for a second, BBBFF,” Twilight smiled in return.
Spike sniffled into her mane. “Twilight, can I... can I tell you something?”
She ruffled his head spines. “Always.”
He took a shuddering breath. “You know how I once said you weren't my Mom? During our first Winter Wrap-Up in Ponyville?”
Of all the things he could've chosen to talk about, she never once for a moment would've expected that. “Yes,” she replied, a bit of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
“Well, I lied!” He sniffled. “You are my Mom! You hatched me, you raised me, you taught me everything I know, you've always been there for me...” He looked up through his tears. “If that doesn't make you my Mom, what does?”
“Spike...” she whispered. The tears of her own she'd managed to stave off this whole time finally poured. “Oh Spike... I wish you'd told me sooner...”
He smiled at that, a tiny, ghost of a smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Does... does that mean I can—“
“Yes, Spike,” she set her chin atop his head, spilling cold tears onto his face now. “My son.”
“Mom...” he cried, falling against her.
“I wish I could keep being there for you, Spike,” she murmured. “My wings... they should've let me see you grow up. See you become the great, big, friendly dragon I know you'll become.” She let out a sigh. “Now all I'll be able to do is watch from above.”
“I don't want you to go, Mom,” he wailed.
She heard the voices again, louder, more distinct. “My friends,” she said, looking off to something beyond the sight of everyone save her. “I can hear them.”
Shining smiled sadly, placing a hoof on Spike's shoulder. “Go to them, Twily,” he said. “Go ahead. Be with your friends.”
“You deserve to rest now, Twilight,” said Cadance.
Celestia wrapped Spike in her wings, placing him on her back, the same way he'd ridden Twilight so many times. “We will always love you, Twilight,” she said.
Twilight stood, flaring her wings. She could feel herself start to fade away, ever so slowly, the voices of her friends coming through clear as day. “I love you, all of you,” she said.
Spike waved as he and everyone else faded from view. “Goodbye, Mom...” he said.
For a few moments, she could see nothing but black, until a few friendly faces fuzzed into focus. “Hey Twilight!” greeted Pinkie Pie.
“It's about time!” said Rainbow Dash, flaring her wings in annoyance.
“Oh come now,” Rarity said, waving a hoof. “No need for that.”
“Not like time matters ta us anymore, anyway,” Applejack quipped.
Twilight beheld them all, smiling, happy, without a care in the world. She focused on Fluttershy, who favored her with a look of endless love. “Twilight...” Fluttershy said, opening her hooves. Twilight fell into her embrace, filled with a warmth, a sense of joy she just knew she'd never lose.
“We're together now,” Twilight said, as all her friends surrounded them, cuddling, drifting off into a peaceful, quiet slumber. “Together.”
She let out a great huge yawn, laying her head against the sleeping Fluttershy’s breast. “Together...”
