The curse of immortality (Outdated)
This version of the story is outdated and isn't being updated anymore, I'd appreciate it if you would start at the prologue instead and continue from there.
Her violet eyes landed on a small piece of wrinkled parchment that she didn't remember placing on her desk. “Strange,” she thought, “I’m usually so organized, so how did this ancient looking letter get here?” She sighed and quickly read over the piece of paper, before it dropped from her grip. Her eyes gently closed, her mane stopping its usual gallant flowing as her mind wandered back to a simpler time.
***
"Hey, Twilight, come on, we have to get going!" A pink pony shouted outside her door excitedly. She was always so very hyper.
"One second please, Pinkie, I just have to finish wrapping this present." Twilight responded, her voice cracking slightly as the ribbon refused to tie correctly. The ribbon began to float again, surrounded by the faint purple hue of her magic. Twilight's tongue licked her lips and stayed there as she carefully tied the bow on top of the present. "There we go, that should stay," she said satisfactorily. Preparing to lift the box, she realized the bow had fallen once again. She sighed and looked around for a solution; standing next to her was Pinkie.
"Wowzer, Twilight, you're not very good at wrapping up presents, are you? Here, let me," Pinkie stated as she trotted up to the package before taking one end of the ribbon in each hoof. After a flurry of seemingly random movements, the present was sealed with the most delicate and ornate bow.
"Pinkie, you'll have to show me how to do that sometime," Twilight said in awe, still staring at the ribbon. "It took me half an hour to get that far."
"Oh, Twilight, it's all in the wrists," she said, almost singing, as she began walking outside.
"So, are we meeting everypony else somewhere?" The purple unicorn asked.
"Yeah, they're already at the train station. You know, for being so organized, it took you awhile to find a present."
"I know, Pinkie; it was kind of hard to find something that expressed my feelings."
"Twilight, what the hay was keeping you?" A blue pegasus shouted as they were a few hooves away from the station. Her mane was much neater than it normally was, and a quick glance at Rarity's smug face told Twilight exactly what happened.
"Sorry, apparently I'm not good at tying ribbons and bows on presents," she responded sheepishly.
"Honey, you could have asked me for help," responded Rarity kindly.
Rainbow Dash flipping her carefully-done mane as she let out a deep sigh. Each stripe of color gleaming magnificently in the sunlight. The usual raggedness to it straightened out to a smooth straight style.
"Yeah, I know Rarity, but I thought I could do it. By the way, thanks again, Pinkie. Wait, where is she?” Twilight said as she looked for the absent pony.
"Aw, fiddlesticks, where'd that pony get off to now?" An orange earth pony said. Her green eyes quickly went from the platform they stood on to the train. There, already sitting and waving from one of the windows was the missing pink pony.
"All aboard who's coming aboard," a brown earth pony beckoned, his voice ringing throughout the station. The five friends still standing on the platform smiled at Pinkie as they embarked onto the spacious train.
"Wait, um, Twilight, where's Spike?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.
"Um, I remember seeing him in bed… Wait, he's not here?!" A frantic search came to the conclusion that their favorite little purple dragon wasn't there yet.
"There he is!" Pinkie shouted, pointing at a small green-bellied dragon running towards the platform as the train began to pull away.
"Come on, Spike, you can do it!" Dash shouted as Spike doubled his efforts, Dash holding out her hoof for him to grab hold of.
"Grab me!" Spike responded as he jumped forward towards Dash’s outstretched hoof. With a yelp, Dash quickly jerked back as she felt Spike holding on.
The small purple dragon flew halfway through the open window before getting stuck there. After a quick chuckle by the group, Twilight grabbed his outstretched claw and yanked him out.
He quickly hit the other side of the cabin and fell on the hard table letting out a loud "Oof."
"Spike, maybe you shouldn't eat so much ice cream," The purple unicorn teased as she quickly reminded him, and everyone else, of the time he got such a bad stomachache.
"Yeah, didn't you eat, like, five buckets of ice cream?" Dash joined in. Spike didn't answer; he just stuck out his tongue in disgust and held his stomach tightly.
"Well, you can make fun of me all you want, but I'm going to bed; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow in Canterlot." Spike said as he quickly climbed into his own bunk on the train and shut the curtain.
"Maybe Spikey-Wikey has a point," Rarity concluded as she climbed carefully into her own bunk and shut the curtain.
"I guess," Dash just said as she flew to the topmost bunk on the left side and quickly fell asleep there.
The rest of the friends soon retired as well to the comfortable train beds. "Good night," Twilight said before magically turning the lights off.
***
"Ugh, five more minutes," Dash said as Twilight and her friends tried to wake her.
"Rainbow Dash, this is no way to behave when the princess herself invited us for a personal party. You must get up and allow me to do your mane, as per our agreement," the fashion designer reminded her.
"Ugh, fine," Dash said as she almost fell out of her bed but caught herself with her wings. Flapping them too hard resulted in her head striking the ceiling, and her to come crashing down.
"Hey, Dash, are you alright?" Spike asked as she stared at the pegasus. Her eyes were looking in both directions at once before they reset in her head.
"Oh, yeah, I'm good," Dash said before feeling Rarity grab her mane.
"Come on, let's get you ready," she insisted as the blue pegasus was pushed out of the sleeping compartment.
The others looked at each other and Twilight asked the question on everypony's mind. "So, what exactly is the agreement they made?" A collective shrug quickly became a group of laughing ponies.
"Come on! I'm hungry!" Pinkie shouted as she walked towards the breakfast cart.
With a smile, the purple unicorn followed her pink friend to the food; the rest soon followed. The inside of the dining car was filled with the pungent smell of eggs and toast.
A quick glance confirmed what Twilight already thought. Pinkie was completely ignoring everything, except for the dessert portion, her plate stacked to the roof with cakes, pies, and countless other pastries. With a smile, Pinkie expertly rocked the overly-full plate and caused a single cake to fall into her waiting mouth.
After a few minutes of laughing and talking, Rainbow Dash walked through the door, her head down. Her entire mane was sleek, organized, straight, and shiny, almost as if Rarity had put straightening polish on it.
"Wow, Rarity, how did you convince her to let you do that?" Twilight asked her quickly.
"Well, it was really quite simple, I-" Rarity began before she was interrupted by the stunt pegasus.
"It's between me and Rarity, and if she tells anypony, the deals off," Dash stated loudly, causing Rarity to chuckle.
"Very well then, my apologies, Twilight," Rarity said to her friend.
"Don't worry about it, come join us for some food," she invited gladly.
"Girls, look, it’s Canterlot!" Pinkie shouted as she pointed her hoof outside of the window towards the magnificent pony city.
***
"Ah, Twilight, I trust the trip went well, then?" A magnificent alicorn asked, her rainbow hued mane flowing slowly; her tail shifting in a similar way.
"Yes, Princess, the train ride went without a hitch," Twilight responded sincerely.
"Speak for yourself Twi! My head still hurts from this morning!" Dash interjected, rubbing her head to emphasize her point. After a quick laugh from everypony present, Princess Celestia smiled and looked at Pinkie.
"So, do you think you could make this party a bit more fun?" Celestia asked, glad to see the pink pony’s face light up at the prospect.
"Of course, I always bring my party cannon with me!" Pinkie exclaimed as she rolled in a pink cannon with balloons covering its sides.
"Where did you get that, Pinkie? I didn't see it on the train," Twilight asked as the cannon suddenly appeared next to Pinkie. Twilight sighed, and shook her head slightly.
"Well, since we come to Canterlot every so often, I decided to keep one cannon in the castle for any occasion," the party pony laughed, pressing a big red button. After a soft bang, confetti covered the floors, balloons were trying to escape through the roof, and banners hung everywhere. "So Princess, what's the party for?"
"I just decided it was too long since we had seen each other, so I decided to throw this little party for all of us. Luna will be down in a few minutes, as soon as she wakes up from her midday nap. Cadence is out with Shining Armor at the moment, she should be joining us in an hour or two, as well." Celestia summed up, her eyes watching as Twilight drank some punch.
"So, Twilight, how have your studies been?" Celestia asked her star pupil.
"I've learned so much recently, I can't even begin to explain it all. Everyday me and my friends have good times, and each day we learn a new little thing. I'm sorry I haven't sent letters every day, but most of the things I learn are pretty minor," Twilight gushed in a matter of seconds.
"You are doing a wonderful job along with your friends sending letters; if I got anymore I would be overwhelmed. Both Princess Luna, and Cadence have taken to reading you and your friends’ letters," Celestia responded calmly.
"Enough talking, let's party!" Pinkie shouted in the background as she began playing some dancing music through a large speaker.
"Rarity, I am glad you could make it, how is your boutique going?" Celestia inquired of the refined unicorn.
"Very well, princess, I just finished a new line of clothing. In fact, I am getting so many orders for it I may need to get some help from my friends soon just to keep up." Rarity responded, her eyes focusing on Dash trying to return her mane to normal. Celestia looked in the same direction and laughed as Rarity's eyebrows lowered.
"Go ahead and take care of it," she said excusing the unicorn to her own business.
"Applejack, I hope your big brother, little sister, and grandmother are all doing well," Celestia said with an interested, yet calm undertone in her voice.
"Yep, they’re all doin' mighty fine, the harvest’s almost here, and we should have cider season before long," the orange earth pony farmer responded happily.
"I hope you shall save some cider for us, dear Applejack," the dark counterpart to Celestia said as she walked into the room, her mane representing the very night sky itself, billowing behind her beautifully.
"Well, of course we will, Princess Luna," Applejack said, stretching her front legs into a bow. It only seemed natural in front of somepony that regal.
"Please, Applejack, there is no need to bow for me, we are all friends here," Princess Luna said as she observed the gesture.
"Good afternoon, my dear friend Fluttershy," the Princess of the Night said as she walked up to the yellow pegasus. "Did you receive my most recent letter?"
"Um, yes princess, I appreciate the advice on getting Angel asleep. He's been really, well, sleepy recently, but will never sleep anymore, for some strange reason," Fluttershy responded in earnest.
"Yes, just have him chew a bit of those nuts I told you about; he should be able to sleep again, and sleep very well," Luna confirmed quickly.
Fluttershy's ears folded forwards and she squeezed her eyes shut as Rarity's voice rang throughout the room, bouncing off the columns and walls. "Dash, you know that you have to keep your mane that way or it doesn't count!"
"Yeah, Rarity, I know, it's just so annoying and not me!" Dash responded equally loud. A few seconds of intense staring later, they both walked separate ways and left the room in a strange silence.
"Ah, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, I am glad you two could make it," Celestia said loudly as the two entered the party room. Pinkie rushed up to them and snapped a party hat on each of their heads. "Could everypony come here for a few seconds?" Celestia requested as the small party of ponies gathered.
"We have a few matters to discuss, please save all of your questions until the end," Celestia said, getting a collective nod from the ponies. Luna and Cadence soon walked up and joined Celestia.
"As you all know,” Cadence started out, “I, as some like to put it, control love, while Princess Luna controls the moon, and Princess Celestia obviously controls the sun. I am also sure that, to smart ponies like you, the fact that we are the only three alicorns in Equestria has not evaded your grasp. Now, as you all know, we have lived for incredible amounts of time. However, these things are just details as of now, what you all need to know before leaving here today is about the Elements of Harmony. But, to understand, first you must know the full story of the Elements, which Celestia, Luna, and myself will all take part in.”
***
“When Equestria was first founded by the three tribes, we were not yet born, however, soon after the founding strife came about once again. The unicorns believed it unfair to have to work tirelessly, and use their best magicians on raising and setting the sun and moon. In return the earth ponies, the pegasi, and the unicorns all pooled their natural magic’s, forming Luna and I. Princess Cadence was born later. After we were fully grown, me and my sister realized exactly what our duties were, and fulfilled them day in and day out.”
“But that peace couldn't last, something was getting stronger back then every day. I still remember that feeling of utter dread, as ponies began to question us and all of magic in general. The Unicorns themselves began to question how it all worked, and this gave way to chaos, as the normal order of things was lost. Much as I and Luna were born, the monster Discord was born. Only this was completely unintentional. He grew quickly and on many occasions we tried to teach him right from wrong. This proved impossible, so eventually we tried to destroy him, yet at only five years old, he managed to utterly defeat us. It was like we were powerless against everything he did. He would take our magic and our power, and warped it in ways that were never meant to be.”
“After playing with us, and our powers, he almost killed us, leaving us to die, far outside of Equestria. There was nowhere to go, except for the old lands, the original lands of the three tribes. The journey was slow and painful, but eventually we managed to regain our strength enough to make it there. When we had finally made it, Luna and I got into a huge fight about why we had decided to go here in the first place. But then, something called to us both, and we followed the strange source of power. This led us to the meeting place of the three tribes during the great blizzard, where we found six stones of power. Each containing one of the essences of the six original ponies in Equestria, these were the Elements of Harmony. They told us how they had watched the rise of Discord, and our defeat at his hands. They told us of many things that had come to pass, and will come to pass. But there are certain things they left out, like the rise of Nightmare Moon, so what they told us may or may not come to fruition.”
After they told us these things, we brought them with us, and quickly defeated and imprisoned the monster that is Discord. Faith was restored in magic, order, and harmony. About a century before the creature that was Nightmare Moon took over Luna, Cadence was born from all of the love in this world. She was a shining beacon of hope in a world slowly being consumed by fear and anger once again; Princess Cadence was born out of necessity. If she had not been born, Nightmare Moon would have been much more powerful than she was.”
“The rest of the story is history.”
***
"Now, we get to you brave six ponies gathered here." Celestia said, "specifically you, Twilight."
"Yes, you may have noticed your magic has been getting much more refined, and stronger than you ever imagined capable. On multiple occasions you have accomplished feats with it that should have left you far dead, yet here you are today." Princess Luna chimed in.
"What we are trying to say Twilight, is that we have been doing some research, and we believe for you to be, slowly, becoming an alicorn yourself," Cadence said, almost apologetically.
"Great, so we all get to live forever, cool!" Dash interrupted quickly.
"No, that's not the case, is it Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked, her face studying the floor intently.
Without saying a word, Celestia just shook her head slightly. "I am truly sorry Twilight, I wish there was something I could do, but there truly isn't. But don't despair; your friends will all live much longer than any normal pony."
"But, eventually they will all die..." Twilight said, her voice drained of all emotions.
A silence permeated the air like a solid sheet of steel. Nopony dared talk, or even look each other in the eyes. Celestia finally looked up and spoke a single sentence, a simple sentence. "They will."
Twilight's heart felt cold, her mind froze, and her body began to shut down. She looked towards each of her friends in turn, in each of their eyes, even Fluttershy, understood. They already knew this was true, they already had accepted they were going to die. But it was different for her; she would have to watch them...
"That is the reason we called you here. You would have noticed within a few years, and we thought it would be best to give you advanced warning. Are there any questions you have?" Celestia asked, her voice almost cracking.
"No, I just want to go home," Twilight said as she turned around.
"Hey, Twilight, don't worry, we still have a really long time to have fun!" Pinkie smiled.
"Yeah, that's true, a long time," Twilight said, a smile of her own appearing on her face.
***
The last of their funerals had been only last week. Strange that Fluttershy would be the last to die, and Dash the first. But there were more pressing matters, like how something from almost a century ago could end up back here now.
Dear Princess Celestia
Today I learned something amazing, everypony everywhere has a special magical connection with her friends; maybe even before she's met them. If you're feeling lonely, and you're still searching for your true friends, just look up in the sky, who knows, maybe you and your future best friends are all looking at the same rainbow.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle
At the bottom of the letter was a small elegant inscription written by somepony.
You always have a special magical connection with your friends, before, or after you've met them, you always share that connection. Whenever you feel lonely, think of the ponies you used to know, still know, and have yet to know.
I know the pain of loss, and whenever I think of all the friends I have lost, I think of them watching me, they would want me to live my life. So I honor that, go out, and live my life the best ways I can.
Authors notes
Three quick things.
1: I am expanding it, and planning on re-releasing this story later as a much more fleshed out story.
2: Thanks to my amazing editors, Golden Delicious, TheHylianBatman, DJ Garv the Expert, and MLP Lover.
3: If you think you could help me edit this story more, grammar specifically, please feel free to leave a comment saying so, or message me anytime.
Version 1.1.3
