Old Wounds

The Alicorn that Time Forgot

By Avianation

Part One: Old Wounds

They say that time heals all wounds. Today marks the one hundredth anniversary of Twilight Sparkle’s coronation as Princess of Friendship. A date supposed to mark a century of successful friendship missions across Equestria. A date meant to honor selflessness and true camaraderie. But today Princess Twilight stands alone in her castle, her friends only fleeting memories. She knew all too well that there are some wounds not even father time himself bothers to repair.

“Twilight,” Spike said as he entered the royal throne room, “the ponies are all outside, and they, uh, want you to give a speech.” Twilight managed to give him a sideways glance.

“I-I don’t know if I can, Spike.” She motioned a hoof toward the empty thrones. “I mean, not now. Not after all we’ve been through.” Spike sighed a heavy sigh.

“C’mon Twilight,” he pleaded. “Just try…” Twilight slowly walked out on the veranda. She gave her hollow speech and then returned somberly inside.

“Hey,” he said, “maybe you can make friends with some of the ponies in Ponyville. I mean, we don’t really know anyone…”

Twilight didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know those ponies, and they only knew her as a leader for reasons from before their time. She had tried reading, but she didn’t want to turn her books into her friends, as her oldest friend had done so many moons ago. Books don’t indulge. They only talk at you, telling you their plights knowing you have to listen.

She stared at the empty thrones, her eyes affixed in a thousand yard stare, fruitlessly searching for the past. She made up her mind.

“I think I’m going to go out for a walk.” She said quietly.

“Hey, yeah!” Spike said encouragingly. “Maybe meet some new friends, eh?”

Twilight knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was leaving the castle, if only to allow herself a brief trip down memory lane. And so, with a heavy heart and a weary gait she exited her tomb of isolation, the heavy castle doors closing loudly behind her.

***

Twilight walked through the streets of Ponyville, her eyes darting between various passers-by. They could never replace my friends, they just couldn’t! We’re generations apart in age, we-. She stopped.

Right in front of her was the new Sugarcube Corner’s, now run by the Cakes’ grandchildren. She peeked in the window. There they were alright, a couple of full grown ponies. She ducked away before they could see her. It was the strangest thing to Twilight. She had watched three generations go by in the blink of an eye. And yet she hadn’t aged a day. She continued walking.

Sooner or later, her travels brought her to the dilapidated Carousel Boutique. Sweetie Belle had taken over running it once Rarity had passed, but now she too, was gone. Ever since then, the place had been left to rot. She stopped and stared, thinking about all the dresses she would never get to wear again, or that ever chipper Mid-Atlantic voice she’d never hear again. Twilight walked on.

Twilgiht walked by Sweet Apple Acres, or as it was called now, “Flim Flam Corporate Lot #217.” Well before their deaths, the Flim Flam brothers had secured a syndicate on all the apple orchards in Equestria, this one being the latest addition. She thought back to when she had to help Applejack save her farm from those cunning snake oil salesmen. Had it been in vain? She didn’t know, and frankly didn’t care.

Twilight had been walking for what felt like ages when she came to Fluttershy’s cottage. It too, had remained untouched since her death and was in a state of severe disrepair. She glanced briefly inside. The furniture lay covered in dust and spider webs, untouched by anypony in ages. The birdhouses and shelters were now devoid of animal life, the grounds an empty husk of what they once were. She continued walking, almost absentmindedly, into the Everfree Forest.

***

Twilight walked, aimlessly, her mind and body deeply conflicted. Where do I go from here? How can I be the Princess of Friendship without any friends? She came upon Zecora’s hut, it too, a barren wasteland of bittersweet memories. She noted the patch of poison joke as she carefully entered. The empty vials and dry cauldron harkened back to the time when Zecora had helped her reclaim Ponyville from Trixie, in her altered state. All the alchemy she had passed on to Applebloom, Twilight had learned from her. She exited the hut and continued walking. She walked and walked until she came out the other side of the forest and into a clearing. She happened to glance up just in time to see Rainbow Dash’s abandoned house floating by. Ever since her death, the house was no longer anchored by the powder blue pegasus’ minor telekinesis, and so it floated wherever the wind bothered to take it.

“It isn’t fair,” Twilight said aloud, “it just isn’t fair…” She tried to cry. She couldn’t cry, not anymore. Her friends had taken all her sadness with them. Now there was only a sort of all-encompassing ambivalence. She felt as though when they had died, they took pieces of her with them. She couldn’t go back, not without them. Perhaps she’d walk forever, and when her legs failed her she’d fly. When her wings gave out perhaps she’d lie down and wait for the warm embrace of death she knew would never come. She couldn’t take it anymore. Twilight collapsed where she stood from pure fatigue, and was overtaken by gentle sleep.

***

Twilight awoke the next morning groggy and disoriented.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I slept in this dirty field,” she said. She decided she would give her hooves a rest and fly home. Some anniversary. She felt a little better this morning, however. For she had made an executive decision. She would resign her position as the Princess of Friendship. When she arrived home Spike greeted her enthusiastically.

“There you are Twilight!” Spike said. “You had me worried sick last night!”

“I’m sorry, Spike. Things got a little out of hand. In any case, I want you to take a note, please.”

“With pleasure!” He obliged.
Twilight spoke;
Dear Princess Celestia,
I feel as though my position as Princess of Friendship has been compromised. It is most apparent that I can no longer fulfill my duties to the fullest extent due to circumstances beyond my control. It is for these reasons that I have decided to resign my title. Now, before you jump down my throat, I do have somepony in mind as a replacement. I am truly sorry.
Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle
“YOU’RE WHAT!?” Spike shouted.

“Spike, can’t you see?” Twilight said calmly. “I can’t be a Princess of Friendship when all my friends are dead! I don’t want to become a role model for these ponies on false pretenses!

“Twilight, I-” he stopped. “I just…this is not the answer. All the progress you’ve made over the past hundred years, y-you can’t just throw all that away!”

“Spike I’m sorry, but I have to do this. If not for all those ponies out there, then for myself. Now please, send that message to Princess Celestia.”

Without another word, Spike sent the letter to the Princess. It was a day or two before she responded, an obligatory ploy to try and convince Twilight otherwise. She didn’t so much as give it a second thought. Twilight knew her candidate would do a fine job as her replacement. Spike, on the other hoof, wasn’t so sure. Mostly due to his wayward obedience to Twilight. Shortly thereafter, Twilight began studying Equestria’s new Princess of Friendship. And so, much in the way a clock ticks, another hundred years went by.