Diary of the Dead

Sunset walked up the concrete sidewalk towards one of her most favorite places: Canterlot High School. True, when she’d first arrived there from Equestria, it had been the bane of her entire existence. She’d wanted to tear the whole institution apart with magic, thus creating the dictatorial existence she’d always dreamed of. But then, a certain purple girl had come from Equestria and shown her the true magic that friendship and trust brings. She’d always considered herself in that girl’s debt, and she kept in regular touch with her. After all, friendship transcended the boundaries between the human world and the pony world.

Oh, Twilight, she thought as she walked around the statue in front of the school, I miss you.

It was no lie. Through the past couple of months, she’d found herself worried about her friendship with the pony princess. Even though the equine constantly reassured her of their bond, she still felt incomplete without her there. Human Twilight was a lot of fun and reminded her of Princess Twilight, but it just wasn’t the same. She didn’t share that previous quadruped bond with the human version of her friend. Equestrians shared things that humans just couldn’t experience because they weren’t ponies. The joy of galloping through a meadow with the wind in one’s mane, the thrill of experiencing a fresh hay cake, and zeppelin tours deep into the atmosphere. Sure, humans had exciting things, too, but there was such a deep connection between Sunset and her pony friend.

In fact, she’d been questioning all of her friendships severely. It seemed like nothing happened between the adventures she shared with her human friends. They’d go on this magical quest or dangerous journey and then be left with nothing but schoolwork. Sure, they’d share the generic trip to the movies or the mall every now and then. But it felt like they were growing stale. This put Sunset in a bit of a quandary: were they friends…or were they simply superheroes? If one of them were to die that very day, would she care enough? Would it be a simple, “goodbye,” or would she weep?

Many more questions had rattled her brain for those months, so she’d decided to do something about it. She took a weekend and went off to the mountains to be alone. Her mind needed clearing, and she definitely found solace there. She rented a cabin nestled deep in the heart of the wilderness and supplied herself with food and water. Once there, she did some hiking, some drawing, and some journaling.

Is friendship real? She asked the paper as her pen crashed upon it, or is it simply activated whenever it’s convenient? Can I count on them to be there when I need them most, even if it has nothing to do with magic or villainy?

Thankfully, she’d been able to answer some of these questions. Her solitary confinement had helped her mind breathe, and she recalled all the good times she’d shared with her friends. From magical quests all the way down to hanging out after school, she determined that friendship was real. If one of them got hurt, it would devastate her. Their bond could never be broken, and she returned to her life confident in that fact. The concept had simply escaped her for a little while, and she determined to have her friends over to her apartment so they might discuss it. She wanted to relay everything she’d learned while on her own in the forest.

But when she left the statue and arrived at the front door, something was amiss. The school was oddly dark and abandoned. The door still hung from its hinges and the glass was intact. The only things out of place were the two small yellow ribbons clinging to the windowpane. Sunset had never seen these before, but chalked it up to the school supporting a worthy cause. She silently tried to open the door, but found it to be locked. It was surprising, considering the fact that it was 8:00 sharp on Monday morning.

Did I miss something? She asked herself as she heard the roar of a car pull in behind her. She turned and saw Principal Celestia stepping out of her bright red Ford Mustang GT. Sunset had always been something of a gearhead, and she was enamored with the headmaster’s wheels. But now was not the time to talk about cars. She needed to solve the mystery of whatever happened there. As Celestia walked up the stairs with her head bowed, Sunset couldn’t help but detect a note of deep sadness. It was rather frightening, for she’d never seen Celestia in such a dour mood before.

“Um…good morning, Principal Celestia,” Sunset ventured.

“Oh, goodness, Sunset,” Celestia said, shaken from her stupor, “you startled me.”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Sunset said respectfully, “but…I’m just wondering why the school’s locked up.”

Celestia gave her an odd look. “You mean…you haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Oh, boy,” Celestia said, “alright, come to my office. You need to know something.”

She ushered Sunset inside, and they walked through the dark hallways. Some light was peppered throughout for security reasons, but other than that, it was pitch black. The yellow girl felt somewhat unnerved by the setting. The lockers all looked like monsters, and the normally colorful posters felt very depressing. It was like the wonderful world outside had not allowed itself to be transitioned into the establishment. The corridors that typically buzzed with students were awfully quiet. In fact, the silence was so loud that Sunset ended up covering her ears and squatting to the floor.

“Are you okay, Sunset?” Celestia asked with tender kindness.

“I…I’m just not used to the school being so deserted,” Sunset said.

“Yes, it is somewhat atypical of our normal routine,” Celestia responded, “but, soon enough, you’ll find out why.”

With that, Celestia led Sunset into the large and spacious principal’s office. Sunset gulped as she remembered being sent here for causing trouble. Of course, that was before Princess Twilight had arrived and she’d been reformed. When she was evil, she considered the trip something of a badge of honor. Now, it scared her to death.

“Take a seat,” Celestia said solemnly.

“I’m…not in any trouble, am I?” Sunset asked, “I can’t think of anything I’ve done to-“

“No, Sunset,” Celestia said, “you’re not in any trouble at all. I’d forgotten that you went to the mountains this weekend, so you couldn’t have heard the news.”

Suddenly, Celestia broke down and began to cry. Sunset was shocked at this behavior from her superior. Normally, Celestia was serious, stern, and tolerated no nonsense when it came up. But she was also incredibly kind with a great sense of levity to balance everything out. If there was one thing she was not, it was depressed. But the tears rolling down her cheeks now created a new silhouette in Sunset’s eyes. She knew Celestia was human, but it still stunned her to see the principal in such a way. She got up and hugged her teacher, feeling the same bond she’d felt when apologizing to Princess Celestia back in Equestria.

“I’m…not exactly sure what to say,” she said honestly.

The principal sniffed. “You don’t need to say anything, Sunset. I know it’s odd to see me cry, but I do carry human emotion. The loss of a student is something that causes me grave pain.”

“Loss of a student?!” Sunset asked in fright, “who?! How?! Was it one of my friends?!”

Celestia nodded and tried to compose herself. “Sunset, I’m afraid…Fluttershy is gone.”