Chapters Twilight watched in horror as Fluttershy lay on the couch in her cottage, her animal friends surrounding her, all chattering wildly. They were worried.
"Fluttershy...." Twilight said, in a near whisper. Tears spilled down her face from her eyes, and fell to the floor with near silent 'plips'. Fluttershy would be the first to pass away, and though it broke Twilight's heart, it made sense. Fluttershy always seemed to be the weakest of the group, though nopony liked using that word.
"Fluttershy, please be strong." Rainbow Dash said, tears also falling from her face. She almost looked as old as Fluttershy did, though she was younger by about a year.
"I second that, ya'll better be strong, Flutters." Applejack added sadly.
"F-F-Fluttershyyyyyy...." Pinkie whined, still a little bit childish after so long.
"Be safe, Fluttershy darling." Rarity said.
"I will...G-...Goodbye girls." Fluttershy finally said, before closing her eyes taking her last breath.
Rarity lay on her "drama couch", as her friends had decided to call it. It had been two weeks since Fluttershy passed, and everypony was still mourning. Now, it was Rarity's time, and Twilight was more heartbroken then ever. She couldn't handle losing two of her best friends in two weeks.
"Rarity", Twilight sobbed, "please no!"
"I'm so sorry, Twilight", Rarity said sadly, "but I can't control this kind of thing. It's my time. Farewell, old friend."
"NO!" Twilight shrieked in heartbroken agony as the Element of Generosity died infront of her, without any of her other friends there to comfort her, she broke down and teleported into her castle, incasing herself in a soundproof forcefield and locking herself in her room.
It had been two months since Twilight locked herself away.
She barely ate, and she would cry herself to sleep.
She finally looked out her window...
...and heard a strange, whistling sound outside, picking up in pitch.
Then, it happened.
A loud bang, and an explosion of color occurred outside her window. She hadn't seen anything like it in about eighty years.
A rainboom.
Rainbow Dash.
Instantly, Twilight teleported outside, just in time to see Rainbow Dash hit the ground hard, killing her instantly.
"NOOO!" Twilight shrieked louder than she had when Rarity died, and ran to Rainbow Dash. She found a red ribbon tied around her neck, with a scroll tied within it.
Heartbroken once more, Twilight opened up the scroll with her magic, and started to read, trembling.
Dear friends, If you're reading this, then you just saw by last display of the Sonic Rainboom. I refused to die of old age like everypony else, I just wanted to be cooler than that! So, using the last of my strength, I performed my last Sonic Rainboom. Well, I will in a few minutes. I'm sorry I couldn't say bye to any of you personally, but this rainboom is, basically, my goodbye. So, farewell, tootaloo, any kind of word you want to use... Goodbye.
Signed, Rainbow Dash
Pinkie Pie hasn't been seen in months. Nopony has heard from the pink party pony in at least three months, and Twilight is worried. Though she is still locked up, she put her shield down so she could get comfort from Spike, who was apparently going to live for a few centuries.
That was until the doorbell rang.
Twilight got up, with Spike at her side, and answered the door.
She gasped.
There was Pinkie Pie.
"P-PINKIE!" Twilight said, bringing her pink friend into a hug.
"I... *cough* couldn't go without saying goodbye..." Pinkie said, coughing afterwards.
"No... NO NO PINKIE NO DON'T LEAVE ME NOT NOW NOT-" Twilight lost herself in sadness and panic, but was interrupted by Pinkie.
"Shh..." Then she did something that made Twilight's heart ache more than anything her friends had done in their final moments- she sang.
"Come on everypony, smile smile smile, fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine..."
Twilight's mouth hung open in horror and sadness. There was no way Pinkie was going to make her do this... "All I really needs a smile smile smile... *sniff* from these.... happy friends of mine...." Twilight sobbed in-between lyrics as Pinkie died in her hooves, a small smile on her face.
Twilight looked at her last friend, laying peacefully in a hospital bed. Applejack's time had come, and she said that she had something private to say to Twilight.
"Twilight..." Applejack started, "We went through so much heartbreak together, watchin' our friends die around us... I needed to tell ya this, so ya didn't go doin' what Rainbow did many months back... Don't forget us, don't get passed it, but keep goin'. I don't want to be forgotten, but I don't want ya'll thinkin' it's better ta die... Keep us in your heart, but continue to make new friends."
"Applejack... I don't understand." said Twilight, tears sliding off her face. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces.
As if Applejack knew this as she thought it, she said "Put the broken pieces of your heart back together. I don't care if there's a million pieces, or two, just fix it. Keep goin' Twilight. That's all I really have to say."
And as Applejack closed her eyes, the heart monitor flatlined.
Twilight didn't know what to do, or exactly what Applejack meant, but she knew she would never forget her five friends that gave her the ultimate gift and curse, immortality.
Perhaps that was what Applejack meant. Twilight didn't know.
But, she had decided that she was going to write down all the things that happened after her friends left her. So she bought the largest journal she could find, got some ink and a quill, and began to write.
And so the first entries in the Immortality Diaries were written.
Author's Note
Omg this took so long to write
Tell me if you want more in the comments, please! I will write more GLADLY.
September 13, 1085 Dear Diary, This is the first entry I will write in this journal/diary thing. I think I'll call it a diary for now. Anyways, all of the Element Bearers, my best friends, are dead. It's horrible to think, and my heart still feels broken, but Applejack told me to put the pieces of my heart back together, so I'm trying. It still hurts, though. At least I won't be alone. I have everypony in Ponyville as a friend, and I feel like that's something I should keep in my heart. Apple Cider, Applejack's great-granddaughter, is helping me mourn her by keeping me company. It's very sweet of her to do, and she always brings an apple when she comes. She even brings an extra for Spike if he wants it, though he prefers jewels, of course. That's where Glimmering Gemstone comes in. She's Rarity's great-granddaughter. Anyways, she comes to comfort us too, even though Rarity's death was months ago. I still think it's sad that Rarity had only me to be with her when she died, but I was the only one who knew. She sent a magical burst to warn me, and since nopony else is a uni/alicorn, they couldn't have felt it. Anyways, Gemstone always brings a, well, a gemstone, for Spike. Every time I look into Apple Cider and Gemstone's eyes, I see the Elements of Harmony that their great-grandmothers represented in their colors. A yellow Element of Honesty for Cider, and a blue Element of Generosity for Gemstone. Sometimes, I really, really, really wish I could just see my old friends again by looking into their eyes. I'll have to get used to a world without them.
-Twilight Sparkle
September 16, 1085 Dear Diary, Today I had a little meeting with the other Princesses just to comfort me and help me get through being sad all the time. Maybe someday I'll get a little better, but I'm not sure. It's hard to imagine a world where I can't always be forced to think about them and their deaths. Death. I hate that word. Anyways, it was less like a meeting, and more like a party. Ha. More like a "Get Well Soon" party. I wish Pinkie could throw me a party like that, but, she can't. Not while she's... dead. Anyways, they talked about how death was something that happened, something that occurred in every almost everypony's life. It was a price for the immortality every princess received, and that eventually, it would hurt less and less. After the "party", I headed back home and received my daily comfort from my new friends and Spike. The day continued on normally.
-Twilight Sparkle
September 21, 1085 Dear Diary, Today, the strangest thing happened! I was just shopping for some food, when I see this mare selling carrots that I've never met before. Now, by taking the role of Pinkie Pie and being the Princess of Friendship, I know everypony in Ponyville. So, I greeted the mare and told her my name, and I asked for hers. To my surprise, she grunted as if I was the most annoying thing in the world and continued to sell her carrots! Though I don't use my title to help me make friends, it was like she didn't even realize that I was a princess! Everypony else gives small bows to me while they walk, even! I coughed awkwardly and asked how much did a carrot cost. She rolled her eyes at me and pointed to a sign quickly, as if she was very annoyed. She rolled her eyes! Very confused, I spread out my wings, hoping she would notice a little better, paid for my carrots, and left. I told Cider, Spike, and Gemstone when I got home, and they reacted the same way. Shocked!
-Twilight Sparkle
P.S. I drew a picture of the mare to put in these pages. I'm still shocked by how she acted!
October 3, 1085 Dear Diary, Sorry if I haven't written in a while, but it's probably become obvious that I don't write in here every day. Today, I realized just how many ponies that there suddenly were in Ponyville! All of them act strangely to me, as if they don't see that I'm a princess, and I've never, ever seen them before! To make sure I wasn't going insane from losing my best friends, I asked Lyra's great-grandson. He said that they were certainly real, that he could hear and see and feel them too! I asked him why he was feeling them, and he responded with the fact that they would shove him out of their way! What's up with these ponies? Anyways, my day was mostly normal, aside from these ponies and their rudeness. I think I'm going to ask one what it's problem is someday, because this has to stop. The ponies that normally live in Ponyville - my friends - are becoming afraid to go outside and fight the strange, randomly-appearing ponies.
-Twilight Sparkle
October 26, 1085 Dear Diary, I saw Discord today. Despite it being months and months, he couldn't handle Fluttershy dying. He would stay in his pocket dimension for weeks and weeks, and barely come outside. He would cause chaos so bad within his dimension, a normal pony couldn't look at it without going insane. I tried looking myself, it hurt my head so bad I was forced to close my eyes at the slightest glimpse. (That's why I was worried about those mean ponies being in my head or not. I thought I actually had gone crazy from looking at Discord's madness.) I heard a knock on the door, and saw that it was Discord who was there. I asked him to come inside, and he did. He immediately said something heartbreaking. "Twilight, I am going to cause chaos all over the land again. You need to turn me to stone before I turn the world into the madness you saw within my pocket dimension." I froze. Discord had said it so casually, yet so sadly. I told him not to, that I wouldn't turn him to stone, that it was the little bit of Fluttershy left in me that told me "No". At the name of his best and first friend, Discord burst into tears, falling to the floor. He said that Fluttershy, his only friend, had died, and so there was nothing he had left. And then I realized what he had said, exactly. Only. I told him that Fluttershy wasn't his only friend, and he looked at me, confused and sad. With a strong burst of alicorn magic, I felt around the entire castle, and the Tree of Harmony, and felt the strong magic of me and my friends together. I thought about my piece in it all, my key in it, and brought forth and image using my magic. I opened my eyes, and saw the key I had used to defeat Tirek, to build this castle, using the gift of...
He isn't too sad anymore. He comes every day now too. He isn't lonely. He has me.
-Twilight Sparkle
Author's Note
All done! Here is the picture Twilight drew of the mare: http://imgur.com/kWhGnnU
I tried to put it as a picture, but it said it was invalid. Too big, maybe?
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the first entries of The Immortality Diaries, feel free to tell me if you want more!
October 30, 1085 Dear Diary, Today, I have decided that I'm going to put an end to the strange, mean ponies walking down the streets of Ponyville. I know, it seems like a huge thing to do, but Ponyville is almost like my first kingdom to rule, despite it being part of Equestria, and therefore I need to protect and care for it. .. Maybe I should think about Celestia's suggestion of me starting my own kingdom soon. Anyways, this morning I decided to end the madness of the ponies who live in Ponyville being afraid to go outside. I sang the song that I sung on the day of my coronation (or, I guess the day right before it.). It's sad to think of all the memories of me getting this immortality, but if I'm ever going to get used to my friends being dead, I have to try. So, like I said, I started singing my precious song, Morning in Ponyville, out on the street like I did the first time I sung it. This time, I was not interrupted by a cloud brought over my head by Rarity. Of course, that can't happen again, because she's gone. That took a lot longer to write than it might look, because it hurts so much. Anyways, what I was interrupted by, was a pony who must have thought that he would die if he heard another note. Instead of the usual end of the song, my song ended something like, "Morning in Ponyville shimmers, Morning in Ponyville shiiiines, and I know for absolute certain, that everything is certainly - OH MY CELESTIA SHUT UP PLEASE, I CAN'T TAKE YOUR STUPID SONG ANYMORE!"
He fell right into my trap. I instantly stopped singing and whipped my head towards him faster than Rainbow Dash could fly. (while alive, I mean.) I yanked him towards me with my magic, and I spread out my wings so he could see, very clearly, that I had both. I near whispered, in rage, "Do you know who you're talking to, my little pony?" He lost all color in his face, and responded with something like, "A-a really annoyingly friendly p-pony?" I was shocked. I couldn't speak. I felt like I would lose control right there and burn him alive in the grasp of my magic.
But I kept just enough control to back away, and glare at the crowd, who was watching silently. I said, "This pony is getting locked up in the castle dungeon I thought I would never have to use. If you follow in his hoofsteps and continue to be rude, you will follow his hoofsteps all the way to the castle dungeon. In case you haven't noticed, everypony, I am the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, and I refuse to let this go on any longer. Stop being mean or leave Ponyville." And with that message out to everypony, I took the rude stallion to the castle dungeon (which I had hoped I would never have to use), and locked him up. I returned to the main part of the castle to tell all my friends, now including Discord, what I had done.
The ponies feel a little safer when they go outside now.
-Twilight Sparkle
P.S, I had made some observations about the rude ponies in the night. I thought about how they had no homes or anything to sleep in, so I watched them. Some ponies just slept like homeless ponies do, just out in the road or in an ally, while most just straight-up vanished. I really need to question my little prisoner a lot!
November 1, 1085 Dear Diary, With the rude pony problem slightly taken care of, this year's Nightmare Night went well! That's why I really needed to do that when I did. One, it would be an early Nightmare Night scare. And two, I wanted everypony to have a happy, fun Nightmare Night, instead of having rude ponies ruining all the fun.
Anyways, Luna came to visit Ponyville for the occasion, using her transformation spell to turn into disguise herself as Nightmare Moon, (There's a difference between 'turning into' and 'pretending to turn into', trust me) and scared the little colts and fillies as we played, carefully, in the ruins of Celestia and Luna's old castle. I was with the colts and fillies, to make sure nopony got hurt in the crumbling castle.
The fun we had allowed me to take my friends off my mind for a little while, even if we were playing in a place we used to hang out.
Now, it's time for today.
Today, I went down to the dungeon and watched my prisoner as he paced back and forth in the crystal cell. I finally decided to ask him some questions, now that I had the time. To look more intimidating, I activated the Elements of Harmony in rainbow power form. This was a bit more complicated without my friends to help me activate it. So, I thought very hard about my friends - everything I loved about them, why I cared about them, all the fun times we had, how powerful the Elements that they wielded were - and eventually, I had gotten into Rainbow Power form. I noticed something while I was in it, though. My legs, which were normally dotted with my cutie mark, were now dotted with all of my friends cutie marks, along with my own. This led my to look at my own cutie mark - the one on my flank, the one I've had for eighty years, or eighty five - and I nearly burst into tears.
Every star, of the five white stars around my cutie mark, were replaced with parts of the marks of my friends.
I had an apple to replace one star, a gem to replace another, a balloon to replace one, a multi-colored lightning bolt for one, and a butterfly to replace the last.
The marks of my friends.
I took a deep breath, and tried to save my real reaction for later. For now, I had a strangely rude pony to interrogate. I walked into the room, fully, not just from around the corner, and glared at him angrily, spreading my now-larger wings. It worked. He backed down a bit in fear. I told him that I had questions for him to answer. I also told him that I wouldn't hurt him - he was mostly innocent, I just wanted to know where everypony came from, and why they were basically taking over Ponyville. I asked him this - he refused to answer. I asked him again - he said, word for word, "I swore on the name of Ch-Celestia, that I wouldn't tell anyp-pony." I raised my eyebrow, and questioned to why he had stuttered like that on those words. For as far as I knew, there was no princess ChCelestia, and we didn't say anyp pony. His eyes widened as he realized that I noticed, and just said it was his accent. I mentioned how he said Celestia perfectly fine when he told me to shut up, and he gulped loudly. I asked him many more questions. He didn't answer any. He didn't even open his mouth for all the next questions I asked. Before I left, I told him that he was losing the innocent-ness he had before, and that I would use more force when I came back to question him again. I still have a small headache from trying to solve his mystery.
I cried over my new rainbow power cutie mark when I got back into my room, and showed my new friends. I have no words.
-Twilight Sparkle
November 5, 1085 Dear Diary, I've been seriously thinking about what I wrote earlier - about my own kingdom. Ever since I became a princess, Celestia has been hinting it to me. Now that my friends are gone, it's easier to think about it. I sent her a letter saying that I was considering it, finally. I've even chosen a name - The Kingdom of Harmony. I'll be the princess of the third kingdom ever! Princess Cadence and the Crystal Empire (My brother passed away, too, but that was a few years ago), Celestia and Luna with Equestria, and then me and the Kingdom of Harmony! It all sounds so good all of a sudden! Maybe I'm finally ready? Anyways, away from the excitement of possibly my own kingdom, there's something strange about one of the mysterious mean ponies. She keeps following me subtly, always staring at me, worried. She hasn't acted rude at all, but she still vanishes in the night, and I've never seen her before. I've had to throw two more mean ponies in the dungeon. I still can't get any information from them. Maybe I should ask the strangest one?
-Twilight Sparkle
Author's Note
Soon.
Soon we shall learn what has been going on, and if Twilight shall get a kingdom.
Soon.
November 30, 1085 Dear Diary,
I haven't written in here in a while. So much has happened, I'm not sure I've had time. All I know is that I'm very glad I decided to speak with the strangest of the strange ponies... Ha. I have trouble writing that now.
So, I'll try to explain what happened in the past month the best I can.
So, on November 6th, I went outside that morning and took a bit of a walk. I wanted to find the Strange Pony, and I assumed that taking a stroll through Ponyville would help me find her. After about an hour, I realized that it wasn't working, and headed back to the castle. Ha! Imagine my surprise when I see the Strange Pony about to knock on the castle doors. I guess she was trying to find me too.
I think I startled her when I yelled 'Hello!' from a bit behind her. She jumped a little and whirled around surprisingly fast. She then looked both ways, and approached me.
"Hello. A-Are you Princess Twilight Sparkle?" she asked me. I smiled, and nodded. "O-Oh, good. I need to speak with you somewhere private, I thought that the castle would be good. My name is Reflection."
I thought that was an odd name for a pony at the time, but I still shook her hoof and brought her into the castle. She was always looking around, being incredibly cautious, seeming worried about something, she kind of reminded me of Pinkie Pie trying to keep a secret and she looked a little like she was trying to hide something.
Finally, she stopped and told me, "Don't scream."
Suddenly, yellow fire erupted around her in a circle, firing upwards in a pillar of flames. I was shocked and took a step back in surprise. Now, before me was a young changeling princess, cowering slightly in fear. At least now I understood her name a little better. 'Reflection' makes sense if you're a changeling.
Now, having a bit of bad history with changelings, including several adventures I went on with my friends to fight Chrysalis, I reacted instantly. I quickly activated my magic, and incased her in a magic shield bubble. She panicked a bit, most likely thinking I was going to harm her. Instead, I angrily asked what she was doing here. What she told me actually surprised me.
"Please, don't hurt me! I-I'm here to help you! Ponyville is in danger! W-We need to save it!" She told me with pleading eyes. I asked her what she meant, why Ponyville was in danger.
She told me that her mother, Queen Chrysalis, was dead. Because of this, and the fact that she was Chrysalis's heir, meant that she must prove herself to the changelings that she can be a successful queen. She failed at every single test she had to pass, and the changeling hive became an awful anarchy. Finally, one of the changelings, Retho, stated that they should attempt to take over Equestria with no queen, and claimed that the queens were the problem in the first place. Retho said that they should head to Ponyville, all disguised, and carefully take it over. "I bet they never knew I would try to save you, huh?" was what she said when she finished.
And that's when it hit me. All the mean ponies were not ponies. They were changelings.
I instantly said that we need to capture them, when Reflection interrupted me. "I am to be their Queen. I must regain control of my changelings. I need your help, Princess Twilight."
I thought on this for a moment, and then I realized something. I asked her changelings really did feed on love like I remembered Chrysalis saying a few times, and she tilted her head and said yes. I told her I had and idea, that there was a way that the changelings and the ponies could co-exist. I just needed one question answered. "Does love-eating hurt the ponies?" She said that no, it doesn't. I wouldn't even notice if she was feeding on me right now. So finally, me and Reflection planned how this would go...
A day later, me and Reflection stood on a balcony on my castle, Reflection being undisguised, looking out over Ponyville. We quickly got everypony's - and everyling's, according to Reflection - attention. Reflection addressed the disguised changelings, telling them that though she failed every test they had her attempt to pass, she could do something that noling had done before... get enough love to feed the hive out of the starvation issue. Together, me and Reflection told everypony and ling in the crowd that we were going to form an alliance - the changelings could freely eat the love from the ponies without hurting them, and would be kind, careful, and respectful to every pony around them. While the ponies would do the same to the changelings - the being kind part, at least. We would all treat eachother as equals, and co-exist peacefully.
Everyling looked around at everypony, and vice versa... and smiled. It had worked.
Another day later, I told Celestia of the new changeling alliance, along with something else. I could not speak for Equestria, so the alliance was only with myself, not Celestia and Luna. So therefore, I made it official:
Ponyville is now the capital of the Kingdom of Harmony, which is allied with the Changeling Hive, Equestria, and the Crystal Empire.
I'm so excited to start ruling over my new kingdom!
-Twilight Sparkle
December 3, 1085 Dear Diary,
So far, the changeling alliance is going okay. Changelings are having a little trouble adapting, as they are used to hiding, and the ponies feel a little off with the shape-shifters around, but it could be worse! Also, I realize, rereading my previous addition to this diary, that I could've been more specific about how things went when I created the alliance with Reflection - now Queen Reflection, but she said I could call her whatever I liked - and what we both gained from this alliance.
Reflection and the changelings would get love and shelter, and, with time, they would be treated as equals among the ponies. It would be like adding a fourth (fifth? Do alicorns count?) tribe into the mix. In return, the changelings would serve the kingdom like ponies do - get jobs, all that. And also... we would get to learn more about the changelings. Soooo.... RESEARCH TIME!
-Twilight Sparkle
Notes on Changelings:
Changelings work in a Hivemind system, meaning that the leader of the changelings - currently Queen Reflection - is connected to the changelings' minds. A Hivemind system means that they all can get problems solved by asking the Queen telepathically.
Imagine it like this: All of the changelings are hungry, but are arguing over what to eat. About half of the changelings say that they should head to Equestria, and raid it for love. The other half of the changelings say that they should just have the leftover love that they already have. The changelings all ask the Queen, looking for answers. The Queen debates this, before deciding that they should take over Equestria: That way, they can get more leftovers later, get nice and full, and have a better source of love for a longer time. Because they all trust the Queen, they go along with that plan.
(...And yes, Queen Reflection says that this is a basic interpretation of what actually happened before the Canterlot invasion attempt about eighty or so years ago.)
Changeling colors: They're very interesting, actually. A changeling's colors determine which hive they go in, and is the best way to tell without using the Hivemind (see above). It also all depends on the Queen, and her colors. A changeling's colors will change when their hive changes, if it ever does, and a changeling with no hive is grey and white.
As mentioned earlier, it all depends on the Queen's colors. There is a primary color, and a secondary color. For example, Chrysalis's primary color was blue, and secondary color was green. Therefore, all of her changelings become the primary color, blue, with the secondary color for their magic, green. The Queen's hair color will be a blend of the two colors, as well. Queen Reflection's primary color is orange, and secondary color is yellow. Can you figure out what she and her drones look like?
Author's Note
...No seriously, try and figure out what Reflection looks like, using Queen Chrysalis as reference. (Reflection is the same height as Season Six Twilight.)
Woohoo, new chapter! Twilight seems to be getting less depressed too, less mention of her friends and getting all sad!
December 14, 1085 Dear Diary,
It will be Hearths Warming Day soon. It will be the first one that I've spent without my best friends, and I don't know how it will go without them.
The first snow of Winter started yesterday as well. It seemed a little late, but I didn't mind. Spike was there next to me as I watched the first snow fall, thinking of my friends. I will miss them forever, no matter what anyone says.
However, I did get a bit of a surprise when I went back inside. I walked inside and let out a gasp.
Somepony had gone and gathered all of the relatives of my friends, just so we could all be together for the holidays. Pinkie Pie's ten great grandchildren bounced around, all of them singing a different Hearths Warming carol. Fluttershy's five great grandchildren all sat quietly around the tree. Rainbow Dash's three were flying around happily, and laughing at the antics of the Pie family. Apple Cider had brought her sisters, brothers, and cousins who were the closest to Applejack, including some of Apple Bloom's grandchildren. There were very very many of them. Shimmering had also done so.
On top of this, they didn't just bring the great grandchildren. They brought everypony, the grandchildren, my best friends' children, absolutely everypony. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo.
And, to my greatest surprise, Starlight Glimmer. It had been so long since I last saw my faithful student. Ha... I sound like Celestia.
I looked out upon the scene. Everypony smiled at me. Spike jumped up and said, "Surprise! I helped bring everypony here. They're all going to live in the Kingdom of Harmony, Twilight!"
I looked out upon the scene once more... and cried tears of joy, as I went out to hug everypony.
It was a amazing party, it really was. The Pies assured us that we would have a party just as big on Hearths Warming Eve. I had smiled and laughed at this. It was amazing how Pinkie and Cheese's love for parties had continued on in their family. It was likely helped by the Element of Laughter. Eventually, Reflection joined in the party, and the Pies had her play a game of impressions. It was much more fun when you could change into the ponies you were doing the impression of. Everypony got along with Reflection quickly.
Once the party started dying down, I pulled Starlight aside to speak with her. Starlight doesn't like talking about it, but she will live for an incredibly long time compared to most ponies, because of the time travel incident, her sheer magical strength, and an age spell she once attempted to cast on herself, Starlight didn't look nearly as old as my best friends when they... you know.
When I taught Starlight, she had decided that she wanted to spread friendship to all. So she would travel across the land to bring it. She enjoyed travelling in colder places better than warmer, and had gained many treasures from the places she'd explored. Sometimes, she'd be gone for whole years, spreading friendship and harmony around the world.
She told me at the party that she was going to continue doing that, but she would visit much more often. Fluttershy's funeral was the only one she was able to be there for, so she paid her respects after the party had ended.
I think that something may be a little bit wrong with Reflection as well. It looks like a friendship problem. I'll have to talk to her sometime.
-Twilight Sparkle
December 25, 1085 Happy Hearth's Warming!
Today is the first Hearth's Warming without my best friends. While it hurts without them, there are so many ponies that are there for me, and not all of them are their children.
The party we had yesterday was absolutely enormous. Everypony - and changeling - who lived in the Kingdom of Harmony was invited to the castle for one big Hearth's Warming Eve party. And everyone came, too. While the changelings had a little trouble adapting, they were able to manage - it was what they did best, after all. Change and adapt.
I won't go into full detail about the party - it would take all night to mark down every little detail. But the party had everything: Cider, presents, food, singing, decorations, jokes, friends, laughter.
And then there was Reflection.
She sat alone, on a balcony, away from the party. She had commanded the drones to not bother her, or speak of her. They were not entirely convinced that it was the best decision, but changelings listen to their Queens.
I found her though, and I spoke with her. And when I figured out what was wrong, I felt... awfully stupid, actually.
Reflection had no family, no friends, nothing. Only her drones, and me. Her mother, Chrysalis, was dead. She had no siblings. Her father was dead as well - she never knew his name. And I wasn't even considered a friend. Only an ally. And I felt the same way. Her mother had caused me and my friends so much trouble in the past (Chrysalis even imprisoned and impersonated Pinkie once!) that I saw her a bit like her mother.
And when I realized this, I did something a little strange.
There was a huge party inside, all for me and my subjects... and I stayed there with Reflection, and asked her questions.
I asked her what her mother was like when she wasn't the enemy. I asked her what her life was like in the hive. I told her stories of the past - of my friends and family and other things as well - and made jokes and laughed, and...
And, slowly but surely, I would befriend Queen Reflection.
Not just an ally. A real, good friend.
And I learned something new, as well.
I don't just see Elements of Harmony within my friends' children... I can see them in everyone. I can see what their Elements would be, if they were bearers. Having an Element made someone more real to me, more capable of friendship, and everyone had one.
Not everypony. Every one.
Loyalty.
Reflection had Loyalty.
And it was perfect. So, so perfect and fitting. For a drone. Not a Queen. That's what made her special.
-Twilight Sparkle
January 1, 1086 Dear Diary,
Today is the first day of the new year! The Pies threw yet another party in the castle, and it was, somehow, bigger then the last one.
Since nothing more important came up, like Reflection having an issue, I will try to go through as many details as possible this time. And it was a big party, with so much going on.
Bon Bon's great granddaughter brought many sweets, which all of the Pies took as a bit of a challenge. They had asked me permission to use the kitchen in the castle and didn't tell me why. And when I asked, they all just used a very powerful form of 'weaponized cuteness' using their eyes and begged, "Plleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaassse?"
I said yes. I'm still trying to figure out if that was a bad idea. They all cheered, and bolted to the kitchen.
I was never able to figure out how Pinkie did what she did - seemingly teleport, run faster then Rainbow Dash cancould fly, pull several items out of nowhere that I could swear she didn't have before... but there was nothing more terrifying in my entire immortal life (so far at least) then learning that her children had gained the ability as well. I was in my lab for a whole week trying to figure out how they did it, until Spike managed to snap me out of it. The only conclusion I ever managed to reach was a theory, and that was that it had something to do with how friendly and happy and playful they are - friendship is magic, after all, so maybe because of how many friends they have, they have an oversupply of magic which they use to do all that. That's just a theory of mine, anyway.
But that's not the point.
The point is I will never figure out where they got all the ingredients to make sweets and candy that didn't come from my own kitchen.
I walked into the kitchen to figure out what they were up to, and-
There was sugar and flour everywhere, sugar on the floor, the counters, the cabinets, the walls, even on the ceiling, which I don't know how it would've gotten there unless they, purposefully or not, flung it around.
There were Pies everywhere, of two different kinds - the ponies related to Pinkie and the baked treat, in all possible flavors.
There was an enormous eight layer cake in the center of the room, soon to be a ten layer cake from the looks of it, which appeared to be an improved version of the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness (or MMMM for short), which had improved a lot over the years. Last I heard from Pinkie, it had nine layers, but she couldn't find a way to fit a tenth. I guess her children found a way, as there was a ninth layer nearly done baking, and a few Pies were getting the next started. While the cake would normally take moths of planning, Pinkie had decided to make it a family recipe, so it was something that must be learned if you were a Pie. Therefore, there was much less planning required.
There were trays and trays of cookies laying around everywhere, including the floor and one that was SOMEHOW attached to the ceiling, the cookies defying gravity and staying on the upside-down tray. They were of many kinds, including chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, and much, much more.
And then there was the candy machine.
I don't own a candy making machine, but it was there, and there were Pies involved, so it was not to be questioned.
Taffy, lollipops, licorice, more candy then I could possibly name was there, chocolate and malted and everything.
And then Blueberry Pie, one of Pinkie's great grandkids, noticed me, waved, and said, "Hiya Twilight! We made sweets!"
I don't think I will ever hear an understatement as big as that one.
So anyways, I called everyone (there were changelings there too... And Spike.) over to see the incredible chaotic mess that the Pies had created. There was laughter, and dropped jaws, and several Apples saying that they 'were gonna go get som'ore cider for this' and soon enough Bon Bon's descendants were in a baking war with the Pies.
I couldn't possibly explain everything that happened during The Baking War. It's all just a blur to me now. But I know that by the end of it, my kitchen was one of the biggest messes I've ever seen. It topped the time Rainbow Dash crashed into the Golden Oaks Library and spilled every single book onto the floor. It was that messy.
And Blueberry and Raspberry were going to come over after the party and clean up the whole thing. They Pinkie Promised. Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise, especially a member of the Pie family. And so, it would be done.
It's getting a bit late, so I'll write more about the party tomorrow.
-Twilight Sparkle
Author's Note
Do you know how hard it is to write Winter chapters in the Summer?!
Fun Fact- I had to rewatch the episode MMMystery on the Friendship Express so I could remember MMMM's full name.
