Twilight looked lovingly at her new student, her first since she had been given her position as the new ruler of Equestria; Luster Dawn. Her friends had all shown up to help teach the studious pony the importance of friendship, as Twilight had once learned herself from her teacher Celestia. This had been a very beloved memory of the all powerful alicorn, as was evident when she looked back over the glossy image that was embedded within a book along with many other images of her and her friends and their journeys. All such precious memories for the alicorn.
Her tears hit the photo of her and all of her friends in the last photo they ever took together, on the last page of the album. Twi sat shaking, her flowing hair as bright and vibrant as ever, as her friends’ rainbow mane beside her laid flat and gray, almost lifeless already. Seeing this regal almighty alicorn next to this decrepit old pegasus felt akin to viewing a blooming rose next to a tumbleweed. There was a pause as Twi waited to hear Rainbow talk about their late friends, but the silence stayed. Only the quiet *beep*....*beep*...*beep*... of the heart monitor that the old pegasus was connected to, breaking the silence. Twi looked to the graying pegasus who’s eyes were looking at Twilight in confused awe. Twilight let out a single knowing sob, knowing what was coming.
“A-are you a princess…?” the rainbow pony slowly gasped out. Twilight shut her eyes hard, her tears shoving out from past her eyelids and down her cheeks. She shut her photo album with her magic and sighed to herself before responding. The nurses at the hospital had informed her of Dash’s condition in her very old state; Dementia. They had helped her to figure out how she should talk to and respond to Dash once she fell into a fit of forgetfulness, but it didn't make it easier to see one of her best friends, and her last remaining original friend, quickly losing herself.
Twilight had often found herself feeling guilty and simultaneously angry at the loss of her friends as they grew older and eventually passed as she continued to agelessly exist as a beautiful and “all-powerful” alicorn. She hated her immortality more and more each day. At first, it felt amazing having such immense power, being able to do as she wanted and do so with her friends by her side. They guided her, gave her advice, and simultaneously she could lead them and help them on their life journeys. It was absolutely perfect. And the only thing more iconic than the princess of friendship herself, was her and her 5 friends together as one. The elements of harmony, the mane 6, the saviors of Equestria several times over. And now… it was just the princess and a heavily aged element of loyalty. Heh, loyalty, guess it makes sense that Dash would be that last to stick around. Twi knew that wasn't how it worked but still felt a twinge of love at remembering the grayed mares origins.
Twilight blinked her eyes a few times, realizing she had fallen into her thoughts as the frail old pegasus sat before her dumbfounded, her breathing strained and uneven. Twilight quickly grabbed the shaky hoof on her own and smiled falsely. “Y-yes I am Princess Twilight. Do you remember me Dashy? Do you remember yourself?” The questions came out shaky as she held back further tears and made her face seem more even. She didn't want to make the elderly Rainbow worried, the pegasus had always been good at reading facial expressions. This was something Twi had learned to control just a few years after becoming the sole ruler of the nation of Equestria. Dash had been a huge help in teaching her her weak points in her “poker face”. Being a ruler came with the importance of being able to hide your thoughts and emotions from your subjects. After all, she was meant to be seen as an “all knowing” alicorn who didn't feel anything but happiness and always did the right thing…
She was falling into her thoughts again. She took a mental note to work on that. Twilight swept her flowing hair back and focused her attention back on the ailed Dash, waiting on her response.
Rainbow’s eyes stared off across the white room she found herself in, her eyes changing shapes every few seconds, indicating that she was trying to identify thoughts and feelings that seemed to flow through her but somehow felt unfamiliar at the same time. Twilight held back a choking sob seeing her friend so out of sorts, but she held her friend's hoof tightly and caressed it lovingly. “Dashy… is that me? Dashy. What a cute name…” that was all the gray pegasus could get out before quietly staring at the wall again.
Twilight lowered her head and shut her eyes, breaking down completely. She couldn't hold it together anymore, couldn't be strong for her last best friend. This caught Dash’s attention, the old mare darted her head over to the princess before her.
“Oh honey! It's ok, shh shhh, I'm here. I'm here” The grizzled voice raspily said before Twi felt a familiar hoof caressing her head, brushing her mane in a soothing way. Twilight’s grief skyrocketed as she realized how much of her old friend was trapped in this decaying body. She couldn't differentiate her friend who loved to fly, race, and crack jokes, from this husk of a body and mind. There wasn't a clear line separating her personality from her body, and as a scientist, Twilight felt conflicted.
That was it.
Her body, her mind, her soul. They were all different. Her body and mind had aged, but her personality would be eternal, even if just in the minds of those who knew her.
Or in this case…
In the mind of the one left who knew her.
“Knew”
That felt like an admission of letting go. Was this a stage of grief? Twi couldn't keep her focus, she knew today was probably that last day Dash would be around. That's why she had been here for the last 16 hours, that's why she had put all her meetings on hold. Nothing was more important to her than her friends. Her friend. Her last friend.
The alicorn lifted her large regal head and panned her eyes to meet the tired, pale orbs of Rainbows. Confusion, concern, and overall disconnect from reality was what she saw in those wrinkled, aged, once-wise orbs.
And that's when she broke. When it broke.
Her mindset.
All she had known about friendship and love.
It was different now.
Each pony was just a set of experiences and memories trapped inside a temporary vessel. Doomed to someday leave it and forget about it and to abandon all the experiences it had gained. All they were were vessels of flesh. And once they were gone, they were gone for good.
Poof.
That's it.
What's the point?
Twilight gave the same look of disconnect back to her last friend. Unsurprisingly, this did not register in the old pegasus’ brain as usual. Twilight raised her head up, kissing Rainbow’s forehead with her eyes closed. She lit her horn for a few seconds and lingered on this loving symbol, before disconnecting with her eyes still held closed, and then she turned around and walked towards the door of the room. Her photo album floated to the nightstand next to Rainbow Dash.
Dash watched the magnificently beautiful angel leave her sight without another word as it opened the door, walked out, and closed it behind her without looking back, leaving the grayed, gasping mare to listen to her own heartbeat and stare at the white wall before her.
*beep…beep…beep…beeeee—----”
Author's Note
How do you feel about this? im thinking of adapting it into a series where Twilight loses her mind over losing all her friends and becomes a ruthless dictator. this is loosely based off a piece of fanart i saw on tiktok. ( https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRHWH9Vc/ )
