The one and only Chapter.
(Please note – This story is written in AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH. The reason for this is because I am from Australia and spell words using that variant of the English language, and as much as American spelling is correct for Americans so Australian spelling is for Australians.)
A Letter To A Friend
By Thylacine Nightmares
Twilight Sparkle stood looking out the window of the castle, she watched as the skies seemed to be crying as rain sheeted down outside. She gave a long, soft sigh as she turned around and walked back slowly to the desk in her room. She levitated the quill and looked down at the blank paper below it. With another sigh she began.
“Dear Skyscreamer,
I am writing this letter to you on this day of days. I still remember the day I met you; it was a day like today, raining and windy. You walked slowly through it and I saw you from outside the window of the Library...”
= = = = =
Twilight Sparkle sat in the Library, reading by the fire, when she happened to look up to see a strange stallion looking at a clipboard and seemed to be looking at the front door. Within moments the doorbell rang and she rose to answer it. Standing in front of her was the strange stallion. “Excuse me, miss,” He spoke in the soft sing-song of the Thestrals, “but are you Miss Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes I am. How can I help you?”
The stallion cleared his throat and handed her a package he’d had secured under his wing to keep dry. “I have some new alchemical elements for you from Canterlot. Could you please sign here?” He handed her the clip board.
Twilight willingly signed and looked up into the honey-coloured eyes of the dripping-wet stallion. “Would you like to come in? I have hot tea.”
The stallion thought for a few moments and then nodded. “I’d be delighted to, Miss Sparkle.” He shook off the rain as best he could, as Twilight walked over to her kitchen to grab another tea cup. Soon they were sitting, sipping tea and chatting.
= = = = =
“That meeting, even though it was by chance, turned out to be one of the best meetings I ever had. We conversed for several hours on several subjects, even to the point of basic Thestral biology. I was glad to have met you.
The next time we met was after Applejack got it into her head to be a ‘might’ stubborn over apple bucking...”
= = = = =
Twilight and the others had just finished their food and drink when she heard leathery wings and the sound of hooves landing behind her. She turned to see Skyscreamer standing there, slightly blinking in the late afternoon light. “Hi, Skyscreamer. What brings you out here?”
Skyscreamer smiled and nodded to the purple Unicorn. “I heard the Apples were in a bit of a bind, so,” he gave a shrilled whistle and ten more Thestrals landed behind him, “I thought we’d come an offer a hoof if they still needed it.”
Applejack stood there stunned, in awe of this group. She’d heard that Thestrals could be a might ‘touchy’ about Ponies. She gulped and walked up to the male. “Hello,” she hesitantly said, “I’m Applejack Apple, and who might you be?”
Skyscreamer bowed deeply to her, followed by the others. “I am Skyscreamer Nightblazer, but please just call me Sky, and these,” Turning a head to look at the others behind him, “are my wing-mates. It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am.” He held out a hoof.
Applejack took it, and shook it with a smile. “Well, Sky, if’n you send a couple of them to help each of my friends, I’d be really grateful.” She was rather surprised when the other Thestrals whistled as they nodded. She turned a curious eye towards Skyscreamer.
“They can understand Pony speech, but not speak it too well; they said ‘We’d be delighted’.” Skyscreamer said with a smile.
= = = = =
“It was around then we learned you were a hybrid and all that it entailed. You know that meant nothing to all your friends here in Ponyville. You made so many, simply by being there when you were needed. You were there when Rainbow Dash became a Wonder Bolt Reserve; you were there when Pinkie threw one of the biggest parties in Ponyville. You were even there to calm me the night I became an Alicorn with that soft Thestral lullaby so I could sleep...”
Twilight gave a small laugh as she read the letter again to that point. She put down her quill and walked slowly back to stare out the window. She returned a few moments later to continue...
“You saw your friends through some of the best and worst times of their lives, and not a day goes by that we don’t consider you to be as dear to us as every friend we have. Now, though, it is time for us to say goodbye to you, in the hopes we will see you again one day...”
Twilight gave a soft sniffle as she stopped writing for a few moments.
“I will sign this letter off, with the words from my heart, Goodbye for now.
Your Friend
Princess Twilight Eve Sparkle.”
Twilight rolled up the scroll, sealing it with her horn and placed it under her wing. She gave a soft sigh. “It’s never easy saying goodbye to a friend.” She thought to herself as she walked slowly out into the rain. It was a relatively short walk to her destination. She walked slowly into the town hall, up onto the stage and stood looking at the assembled ponies.
“My dear friends of Ponyville, we have come together to farewell a friend, a Pony of such gentle ways, that we were all honoured in the all too brief time we knew him.” Twilight said in a mournful tone as she looked down on the coffin sitting on the table in front of the stage. “Today we must see Skyscreamer Nightblazer off on his last journey, into a land that we will one day all go to. He gave his life protecting Ponies from the Timberwolf infestation, even though the Thestrals had no stake in it; he stood with us, protecting us, til his last... las...”
Twilight broke down, as the sorrow hit her, she peered at the crowd and noticed the tears echoed in their eyes. She drew a deep, ragged breath as she closed her eyes and opened them again. “Until his last breath; a Pony to be proud of to the last.” Twilight couldn’t speak anymore; she simply stood there as the tears fell. She was surprised when Octavia started to play on her cello the most sorrowful and mournful piece Twilight had ever heard.
Once Octavia had finished playing and Twilight had composed herself again, she spoke once more. “I would now ask any Pony who wishes to speak to come up and talk about some way he touched their lives.”
To everyone’s surprise, Mayor Mare rose first and came up onto the stage. “I met him a few weeks ago. I was going through a rough patch; my husband had just left on a long business trip and I was at a loss for anything but work. Then Sky turned up on my doorstep, asking if I needed a hoof. I was stunned at first, but allowed him into my office. We didn’t do much work; he got me a coffee, sat and listened to this old work horse and her woes.” She looked poignantly at the coffin. “Goodbye Sky, thanks for giving me an ear, and a shoulder.” She stood back, wiping her eyes.
Mayor Mare’s speech seemed to break the ice. One by one, Ponies filed forward to tell their stories of Sky. Some were sad, some were funny, but all of them were heartfelt.
Rainbow Dash surprised everypony by walking up to the microphone and not speaking for a few moments. Twilight was about to gently usher her friend off when Rainbow Dash finally spoke.
“I met Sky... when was it? I think it was about a week after you first did, Twi’.” The cyan Pegasus turned to look at the crowd. “I was practicing for the try-outs with the Wonder Bolts and I just couldn’t seem to catch the thermals quick enough to get the extra speed boost I needed.” The cyan mare gave a soft chuckle, but her soft eyes and flowing tears showed it was false bravado.
“Then out of nowhere this black shape zipped past me, laughing and rising up like a rocket. To be honest I was amazed and, I have to admit, a little jealous. So I followed him up, then Sky just smiled at me and pointed me to the ‘sweet spot’ I had just missed, and how to look for more of them.”
Rainbow Dash openly wiped the tears away from her eyes. “He was my best critic, as honest as A.J. and caring as Fluttershy. The night after I made through the Wonder Bolt training, I saw him sitting on a cloud smiling at me. He gave me a salute and flew off. I caught him, though.” This statement bought a smile from a lot of Ponies including Dash before she spoke up again. “We spent about two hours just flying for the joy of flying, him on my wing and laughing along with me.” Rainbow Dash dropped down off the stage to run one wing over the coffin in a silent gesture.
“Sky, buddy...” Rainbow Dash said in a hoarse almost-whisper, “You’ve left a hole on my wing and in my heart. You’re riding a thermal I can’t see, but one day we’ll fly together again and I’ll be your wing mare any day.” She walked back to sit with Applejack, her open and honest tears falling as two of the closest friends in Ponyville comforted each other.
Octavia spoke as one of the last. “I met him only briefly. It was a month after I lost Vinyl. I was in a very bad place; I lost my love of music when she died.” Octavia gave a snuffle before continuing. “I was seated on our bed when I heard hooves on the floor in the lounge. I was angry, hurting, and I stormed out to see Sky sitting there just looking at Vinyl’s turntable. I yelled at him; I screamed at him; I called him more names than it was right to call any pony. He just stood, turned around and looked at me.”
Octavia sighed softly, before continuing. “He didn’t say anything; he just turned to look at me with those big golden eyes of his, filled with tears that seemed to reflect my pain in them. He then spoke one sentence to me that both tore me up and got me taking one step forward again.”
Octavia drew a deep breath before she spoke again. “He said: ‘What would Vinyl do if she saw you like this?’ I admit I hated him then, but, he was right, I had to live, not just exist. So Sky, when you see Vinyl, hug her for me and tell her ‘thank you’ for sending you at the right time to me... and I will be along in time.”
Big Mac spoke next telling a funny story about Sky accidently falling asleep on the farm and sleep flying into Applejack’s bedroom. This made Applejack blush like crazy, but also laugh too. “So, Sky,” Big Mac said with a huge tear in his eye, “when you see our Ma and Pa, tell ‘em we’re doing okay.” The big stallion made his way down from the stage.
Much to every Pony’s surprise Diamond Tiara walked up. “I didn’t know Mister Skyscreamer all that well; to be honest, he scared me a little. But I was the filly he saved. I was in the school playground when the attack came; everypony else got away, but I froze. The Timberwolf Alpha came to attack, its jaws about to snap when he flew in and scooped me out of the way. He fought hard, but he kept on getting hurt. Once the beast left I ran to him, and he asked me in a soft voice if I was okay. When I said yes...” Diamond Tiara cried as she spoke the last words. “I saw him smile, and drop, he didn’t move again. So Mister Skyscreamer, I promise you: I’ll be a Pony you can be proud of.” She ran to her father and cried against Filthy Rich’s leg, totally ignoring her mother.
Twilight moved back to the centre of the stage. “Is there no one else?” When no pony came forward she spoke again. “Who will carry him?”
“We will.” A voice came from the back of the room, as all heads turned they saw the Wonder Bolts in full dress uniform, led by Spitfire herself, all were wearing black foreleg-bands with his cutie mark on them. Without a word, eight Wonder Bolts marched forward, turning to face the doors again. They snapped their wings under the coffin and lifted it. A Wonder Bolt flag was draped over its top.
They slowly made their way out into the rain, followed by the Ponies. It was a slow procession moving silently through the streets to the small cemetery, where a grave was prepared and waiting.
Once the coffin was lowered into the ground, one by one the Ponies came forward to place a flower on the grave. Twilight hung back, she was the last to move up and she placed the letter she had written on the grave before turning away. “I am an Alicorn. I have to get used to death of my friends... but still it doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She walked away from the grave.
= = = = =
Three months later she had sent a copy of the entry in ‘The History of Ponyville’ that detailed his life as much as any Pony knew and what he’d done, as well as how he had died saving the lives of Ponies to Canterlot. Twilight was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from Bound Books, the chief historian at the Royal Canterlot Library. It told her that Sky was receiving an entry in the ‘Historium Equestria’ for that year, which would be a word-for-word copy of the entry in the Ponyville book. Twilight smiled softly, though a little sadly, at the thought of their friend living on for the rest of time in that record.
= = = = =
Six months after the funeral she was at the grave again, this time to see his grave marker installed. It was a life sized statue of him, his wings stretched wide, zooming into the sky with a smile on his face. There was a simple inscription on the base of the statue. It read: ‘Skyscreamer Nightblazer: A friend to be proud of.’ Twilight stood there looking up at it, her own smile on her face. She smiled more deeply as she noticed the flags of Ponyville, the Thestrals and behind them the flag of Equestria slowly flapping in the breeze, almost like the sound of his wings.
“Bye, Sky.” She whispered to it. She turned and walked back towards the gate when she heard an ethereal whistle on the wind; she turned and saw him standing there a smile on his ghostly face. “Bye, Twilight, make me proud.” The ghostly form said, before he jumped high into the sky and vanished into the blue. Twilight smiled warmly as she made her way back to the castle. She had seen something that should not have been possible, but had been and, much to her surprise, she found she didn’t care that it was impossible.
= = = = =
Later that night, after she had fallen asleep, she was woken in her dream by a gentle tap on her horn. She opened her eyes to see Princess Luna standing there. “Twilight, there is someone who wishes to speak to you, but he cannot stay long.”
Twilight was about to ask who when she saw Skyscreamer standing there in front of her, next to Luna. “Hello Twilight.” He smiling said. Twilight hugged him tightly and felt his wings wrap around her. “I wanted you to know, you couldn’t have helped me. I wanted to help Ponyville, and I am proud to have died doing that.” His soft voice came into her.
“But, if we had of been quicker, or gotten to you in time, you could have...” She spoke in heartfelt tones.
“No, Twilight.” He replied, gently interrupting her. “It might have saved me, yes, but others might have died. You could have lost Fluttershy, Rainbow, A.J., Pinkie, Rarity or any of a hundred others including yourself. Was my life worth more than any other Pony?”
The ethereal figure before her paused and then continued. “I didn’t tell you something I should have. I was dying, I had a cancer they couldn’t cure. It’s a common type with hybrids and I would have died within a year anyway.” Twilights eyes looked up at him, her eyes speaking volumes about what she would have tried.
“No, Twilight, not even Alicorn magic could have saved me.” He said sadly. “Now I must go, but before I do.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “I loved you Twilight, and not just as a friend.” With these words he was gone and Twilight hugged tightly into Luna crying into her side, and Luna offered her the quiet comfort that Twilight needed.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: stallions can be such doofuses.” Twilight thought.
(End)
Author's Note
Please note, this is my first story at FiM Fiction. I hope you all find this acceptable.
T.N.