How do you choose between friends and forever?
Her heart was heavy, and yet, elated.
Two sets of hoofsteps echoed as two immortal beings walked down a hallway that seemed to go on forever. Perhaps it was anticipation that made it seem so long, or perhaps it was the fact that they were walking at a pointedly slow pace. She could not be sure, but what she was sure of was the almost dead silence that pressed in on every side, threatening to steal her breath with it's oppressive grip on every sound but the clip clop of their hooves.
She kept her eyes down, away from the prying gazes of the guards that lined each side of the hall, watching their progress. Did they blame her? Did all of Equestria blame her? Her eyes dared to glance up to the mare beside her, old, far older than almost everything else, she looked serene and at ease like she always did. Do you blame me as well, Celestia? She could never be sure, the princess never was easy to read, having perfected the absolute calm over countless decades of leadership. She could never become the ruler that Celestia was, the gentle and kind mare who welcomed any and all with open arms and an open heart. Twilight was the princess of friendship, but she would never understand the way her oldest friend could address any creature with such practiced finesse. She never balked, or faltered, or flinched, no matter what she faced. Twilight averted her gaze again before the older mare caught her staring, she would recover, she would move on. Celestia had said goodbye to many friends over the course of her immortal life, she had practice, Twilight could never do what Celestia could, she would never fill that role. She knew it, and that was why she made the choice. There would be another prodigy, there always was, she would find another shining star to fill her shoes, one that could do so much better than Twilight felt she would.
She smiled, a soft, sort of sad smile as she watched the tiles go by beneath her, counting as if ticking hands on a clock. She was remembering her friends, the ponies who made her ascension possible. She would not be here without them, they were the true heroes of Equestria, serving Twilight and the Princesses to the very end. Each gave their lives to protect her, one by one, until only she was left, she knew that they would have done it a million times over if they could have. No group of friends had ever loved each other like they had, and she cherished them more than anything.
More, even, than her own immortality.
She swallowed a fearful lump as she considered when she was doing. Celestia had been very forward about what giving up her immortality would entail, Twilight was two hundred years old now, the years seemed to fly by to a being who had no need to count them. She had done many things since her last friend fell, stopped wars and started them, brought nations to peace, defeated countless threats to the livelihood of Equestria. She was tired, she realized, as she followed quietly by her mentor's side, she could feel the years heavy on her wings as they adjusted on her back. She was nowhere near as old as Celestia and Luna, but she could feel the fatigue of a pony who has lived for eons, and as she lifted her head to gaze at the door at the end of the hall, approaching closer now as they made their way, she felt a nearly overwhelming sense of relief. Soon, she told herself, soon she would be getting the rest she longed so much for.
"You are sure that this is what you want, Twilight?"
The voice cut from nowhere, and startled her from her thoughts. Celestia. Her eyes hesitantly turned up to her dearest teacher to see the solemn look in her eyes, stunning her into silence for several heartbeats as she attempted to regain her voice to speak. Celestia went on as she did,
"You cannot turn back once you enter that room."
Twilight swallowed that fearful lump again, turning her face away for a moment, before smiling back up at the oldest princess with a tearful look of resolve on her face, "I'm sure. I'm very tired, Celestia." She turned away, not wanting to see the look of betrayal and hurt that would surely cross her friend's face, instead, she felt a feather soft touch on her chin, as the princess lifted her face to meet her eyes, "No pony in Equestria deserves to rest as much as you do, my most faithful student." She pulled away, and they continued the short distance to the large ornamental door at the end of the room.
Twilight gasped softly when she approached the door, taken aback by the sheer size of it towering over her and even Celestia, it was massive, decorated with gold and marble, and inlaid with with six symbols that she knew better than anything else. The Elements of Harmony, her friend's cutie marks decorated the surface of the door, and her own lay in the lower center, serving as the lock, a lock only she could open. It was a gift grated to her by Celestia, only she could enter this room, and she could only enter alone. She approached the door a few paces and swallowed, glancing back to the alicorn behind her for reassurance, Celestia's eyes were fighting tears as she gave her an affirming nod. It was okay, Equestria would go on to see endless sunrises and sunsets, she could rest. She gave a sad smile, then turned back to the door, igniting her horn and channeling her magic into the lock. The inlay glowed with a magical aura that soon channeled to the other five marks on the door, shimmering like starlight before groaning loudly as the door began to heave itself open. This was it, she thought with a pounding heart, this was it. She glanced back at the mare who had given her so much, mouthing a 'thank you' before stepping through the door.
The room was large, nearly as big as Celestia's throne room, and perfectly round. The sides were decorated with large columns from floor to ceiling, and banners hung the depicted designs similar to the stained glass effigy that told of the heroics of the elements of harmony. She smiled as she walked past them, remembering each victory in exact detail; the battle and cleansing of Nightmare Moon, where she had first met and bonded with the ponies who would come to mean more than life itself to her. The battle with Discord, she managed a soft laugh at this memory, who would have known that he would become a valued friend to them eventually. Even the Changeling attach and the return of the crystal empire were depicted in beautiful detail. Each banner a memory of the things they accomplished together, as friends. She turned her gaze to the center of the room now, where the floor was decorated with a large depiction of her cutie mark, with five statues, five matching stained glass windows. The sight of them made tears well up in her eyes now, five friends that she treasured the memories of so much, that she could not bear to live an eternity without them.
She stepped into the center on the room, over the large emblem of her mark, her breath was caught in her throat as she gazed over each window and the accompanying statue; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Five names that would be forever imprinted on hear heart. They had taught her so many wonderful things, and together they had learned what it truly means to be a friend, to harness the magic that it could offer, their memories together would live on in the letters that they had written, the friendship reports that Celestia kept for so many years. Their memories throughout Equestria would never fade, the sisters would make sure of that. She smiled softly and drew in a breath, before exhaling and igniting her horn once again.
The power that emitted from her as she began the spell was explosive, a nova blast of pure magical energy that caused the banners to blow wildly in the wind, her chest heaved and her senses screamed from the sheer power of the spell that coursed through her body, there was no pain, only an overwhelming surge of magical energy that only she could manage to contain. She cried out as a second wave exploded through the room, in destructive to the surroundings, but intense as a sunburst as it washed over everything, causing the cutie marks emblazoned on each statue to glow with the same radiating magic. She could not see as her eyes glowed white with the impossible power that emitted from her whole body now, but she could feel it, another magical burst preparing to spill out, she gasped with what breath she had as her hooves left the ground, and she was thrust into the air as the final burst passed from her, shattering her wings as it did. She slowly lowered to her feet as the spell subsided, falling into a heap as all her energy left her. Her eyes were foggy and her mind was in a haze as she fought for breath on the center floor of the room, she could see through the windows that the sun was setting, and through the fog of her spent mind she could make out five shapes, greeting her with the same warm smiles that they had so many years ago.
She gave a weak smile heaving her failing body to greet them as the six friends reunited in an embrace for the last time.
Author's Note
I know that Twilight has been confirmed as not outliving her friends. But I have always loved the idea and exploring it is always a very good experience. So I hope no one hates this TOO much LOL. This is also my first story so I am so nervous omg.
Also this is basically my take on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZDhMKk4tfg
Which everyone should definitely watch! It's REALLY good!
