Dementia

by cheesepuff

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad, Nurse Redheart, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Tragedy
Length: 1036

The aging mind of an imortal being shows it's tolls in a short story.

In this very short story we see what goes through the mind of an aging Celestia as her mind succumbs to dementia.

Published 2014-09-24 12:40:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-24 12:40:03 UTC

Pages of my past

Dementia

Over the course of my years on this Earth I have lived a thousand lives. And thus I have seen many end as well. From humble beginning to tragic demise, some leave my life by means of nature and gentle decay, whilst others are cast like a stone out into the unforgiving abyss far from the reaches of my own sentiment. Some ponies will forever be etched into the fabric of my very being, even only if by a frail thread into the back of my consciousness. Others, like the ink on paper, will inevitably be forgotten despite my desperate attempts to recollect.

There once was a time when I could remember the names of all the ponies that meant something to me, but now I struggle to remember my own. Like the icy slopes of a mountain side my memory slips from time to time. I gave up long ago trying to remember such details on my own accord. Canterlot holds the world’s largest library known to pony kind. Its well-known for its…its…

I’ll skip to the important part. It’s no secret that there is a restricted section of the library that is only granted access to royals in Equestria. However most ponies will never know the contents of the scrolls inside. Over the years I have kept logs of valuable subjects - Things of the utmost importance. But as my mind escapes me further and further I’m forced to make entries of the most frivolous things just so I can be able to function. My latest goal is to remember something before I forget entirely one day so I can recall its importance. I need to remember what it is to be a friend.

For a thousand years I spent my time on nothing but royal duties to ensure the safety and survival of a kingdom with one less figurehead to govern it. When my sister was banished I had forgotten everything that it meant to have a friend. I tasked a student of mine with what must seem for her like an arbitrary use of her time by sending me reports on friendship. So far the plan has been doing well. She and her friends write to me every few days. I catalog these letters so that one day, when I forget, I can look back and remember what it is to be a friend.

Twilight Sparkle – the great great great granddaughter of my once longtime friend Starswirl the Bearded reminds me so much of him. He truly was one of a kind. I had almost completely forgotten about him until Twilight dressed as him on Nightmare Night. My sister told me all about it. I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes. Knowing her, I’m sure she even got the hat right. However, it’s no coincidence that the great great great granddaughter of the legendary Starswirl the bearded is doing this work for me. She has an eye for detail and writes it so as well, just like Starswirl. At times I could almost swear they were one in the same. Come to think of it, they have quite a bit in common. Starswirl was always knee deep in his research. According to his journal here, it says that sometimes he wouldn’t come out for days. And when he did, the Sun would appear brighter than any luminosity spell ever created. Perhaps that’s why he always got along better with my sister than I.

The days feel so much shorter now than they used to be. It seems as though right after I put the Sun in the sky, my sister is telling me it’s time to take it down. I’ll be sitting here in my royal chambers having a nice conversation with the nurse that comes by to see me every afternoon. I do enjoy telling her of the profound adventures that my student undertakes. My sister will join us for these conversations at times, but for some reason she prefers not to listen. I suppose she’s just tired. She does sleep during the day after all. I can’t help but notice a distressed appearance on her face most of the time though. I do hope she’s alright. She can always confide in me with whatever problems she may face.

Still, it worries me that she has become increasingly distant over the past few years. Soon after her return I noticed a great sadness in her. I wish I knew what troubles her so, so that I might try to cheer her up. I suppose that’s a part of the reason why I have Twilight send me these letters. I want to be more than just a sister to dear Luna – I want to be her friend like when we were young before the banishment happened. If I can’t figure out soon what it means to be a good friend, I fear I may never find out what ails my sister so. I just want to see her smile like she used to. To laugh and enjoy life as she once did. I’m certain that in time I will understand what causes her so much distress. Because of all the things I have learned from Twilight Sparkle’s letters, I have found the one thing that is for certain. It’s just like she said right here in her first letter – “Friendship is Magic.”

*poof*

Oh, it’s another letter from my dearest student.
“Luna, won’t you come in here and read with me the latest letter my student has sent? I’m sure it will be even better than the last.”

From behind the doorway Luna and Nurse Redheart spoke…
“Nurse, she’s doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“She insists that her students have sent mail for her to read.”
“Is that really such a bad thing? It makes her happy.”
“Yes, but she hasn’t had a student in decades. “
Nurse Redheart sighed. “I know. She’s entering the final stages of her dementia. I’ll call for hospice care.”

Author's Note

I'm not the best with grammar and spelling. I'll be happy to edit mistakes if you kindly point them out.