"I thought I'd find you up here."
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, smiled sadly as she continued to gaze out over the town of Ponyville and beyond. The land was a brilliant orange, given color by the Sun as it made its descent over the horizon. She didn't need to turn to know who had sat beside her. Despite being a construct of chaos, he was oddly predictable once one got to know him well enough.
"Am I really that predictable?" Twilight asked.
A soft chuckle was her only answer, and it warmed her heart to some extent. She soon found herself laughing gently along with her guest. It was a moment of relief she truly cherished. Soon, however, it quieted down once more, and Twilight was again at the mercy of her thoughts. She watched as the orange sphere continued to sink over the horizon. The fields beneath the hill she sat upon was slowly consumed by darkness, the shadows creeping their way towards her.
She tore her gaze from the sight and looked to Discord. The Chimera was watching the Sunset as well, remaining surprisingly clam despite his persona. Perhaps the God was not as sturdy as she once thought him to be. She sighed and returned to her gaze to the Sun, noticing that the orb was a little more than halfway gone.
"You still miss her, don't you, Discord?"
Discord began to rip out small tufts of grass, his voice strong, "Of course I do, I'll never forget her. She was my first friend after all."
Twilight wiped away the tears that began to form in the corner of her eyes. That's not why she came up here almost every day. She didn't want to remember them like that.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" asked Twilight.
"Almost five hundred years actually. Next week is the anniversary, right? Of when you all first met?"
The tears she'd been so insistent to hold back began to flow forth. She didn't sob, nor did she scream in anguish. She simply sat there and cried as she watched the light of the Sun continue to grow dimmer with every passing moment. Every year she was like this, a complete mess, and it only upset her further that she seemed to be the only one who acted like this.
"I never wanted any of this... this responsibility. If I could throw it all away, I would. Every year I'm just reminded of my 'destiny', and what I was forced to leave behind. Some days... I wonder if it would simply be easier to just close my eyes, and let myself drift away. All the pain I have bottled up would be infinitesimal to what lie beyond," She looked to Discord, two tear trails matting her fur, "so what's the point of going forward?"
Discord frowned as he looked over the Alicorn. His eyes softened as he noticed the distress his friend was going through. He spoke gently to her, "Do you really think they would want that? All life is sacred Twilight, regardless of who's it is. I'm older then you could possibly imagine, older then both of your princesses combined. I've seen the rise and fall of civilizations, and have had the privilege to know those far before your time."
Twilight lowered her head in shame. "Then how do you cope with it? How do you find the will to move forward?"
Discord smiled and rested a talon upon her shoulder. "Through the memories I've created with the ones I cherish."
Twilight looked up at him in confusion. Discord closed his eyes as he recounted the numerous memories he held of her. "They have been gone from this planet for generations, Twilight. Many know of who they are through textbooks and history, but only you hold true memories of who they really are, and what they stood for. The times you spent together as friends, the trials you faced one by one. Do you really want those memories to be forgotten, to vanish from this world?"
Discord's smile grew slightly as he watched the smaller Alicorn shake her head. "Then don't wish for it to all just end. Don't forget, there's others who still cherish your presence. What about Celestia, Luna, and Cadance? What about Spike?" Twilight's breath hitched, and Discord took it as a sign to press forward, "Spike has many a millennia to go through before he too fades from this Earth. Would you be so cruel as to leave him alone, forgotten and unwanted?"
Discord lifted Twilight's head and gently wiped away her tears. The lavender Alicorn smiled at the gentle touch, surprised to be from one such as him.
"I never thought I'd be getting counseled by you of all ponies," Twilight joked.
Discord laughed with her as he stood up from the ground, stretching his back. "Well... I know what you're going though, and I would be a poor friend if I didn't come to you in your time of need. Remember Twilight, we've all lost somepony close to us, but never forget the one's still alive, and never forget the memories of those that passed on."
Twilight nodded and rose from the cold ground. By now the warmth of the sun was all but gone, any presence of the burning orb reserved for the sky above them. With Discord by her side, she began to make her way down the hill and towards her castle. She paused once to look behind her, a faint smiled against her lips.
"I'll never forget you. The memories we've made together will forever be with me. Please, give me the strength to continue."
She turned her back to the hill as the final rays of light vanished from the sky and darkness began to settle. Despite the darkness, five shapes could still be seen upon the hill, the stone monoliths a testimony to time past.
