Aftermath

When I got the news, I was with Starlight on a tour. It was summer neither of us had our responsibilities at the school to take care of. Just me, my marefriend and impressing hundreds of ponies with our magic. Obviously those plans were cut short, because well, everypony already knows why. Twilight was killed. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

"Are you absolutely certain this is a good idea?" Starlight inquired.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has never been more certain about anything in her life. This trick will impress everypony", I replied pacing around my wagon.

"It looks well kinda dangerous".

"Oh please. We've done more dangerous tricks than this. Remember, Manehatten?"

Starlight visibly shivered. "Don't remind me. I'm still surprised the police ponies didn't arrest us for accidentally blowing the roof off that building".

I waved my hoof around. "It was an honest mistake. Granted, we did have to run out of town for a few days but the town needed some more excitement".

I gazed fondly out the window. "Trixie loves this. Being on tour once more, with you. The school just gets so hectic during the year. But I wouldn't miss being there for the world, seeing you everyday is the best part".

I waited for a response and got nothing. Turning around, I looked at Starlight.
"Did you hear-" I stopped instantly taking in her look. She was pale, tears forming in her eyes. She was reading a scroll that I'm assuming that the Phoenix dropped off just now. Or I'm assuming the Phoenix was responsible because we don't own one, yet one was sitting on my hat.

"Shoo, get off that! The Great and Powerful Trixies hat is not a birdstand".

Turning back to my partner, I barely had time to prepare as she pounced on me, hugging me, tears flowing freely onto my mane and shoulder. "What in Equestria is going on, Starlight? Is it Sunburst or something?"

Starlight, sobbing, muffled some words into my mane I didn't hear.

"What was that, you're currently speaking into my mane and Trixie has bad hearing, remember?"

I still didn't get a response, so I just nuzzled her cheek, rubbing her mane as she cried for what seemed like an eternity. Finally the crying slowed down and I could figure out what the hay was going on.

"Are you okay?" I gently prodded receiving a stare. "What happened?"

Staring into my eyes, Starlight gave me my answer. "Twilight is dead".

My hooves fell out from under me in shock. Hours later, I felt something cool on my head. I opened my eyes and found Starlight standing over me, gently placing a wash cloth on my head.

"What happened to me?" I inquired.

"You fainted. For about three hours or so". Starlight replied, starting to cry again. "We've been ordered to return to Ponyville. Luna and Cadence are awaiting us at the castle."

Barely nodding, I stood up shakily. "Well, we must get a move on then. Celestia forbid what happens if we refuse. Probably making us scrub her castle floors and throne."

"You're still tired, I'll pull the wagon you can walk alongside us."

I really hated to put Starry in that position but I had to admit she was right. Getting hurt would do neither of us good.

I'll never forget how different Ponyville was when we arrived. We made damn good time considering how far the two towns are from each other. Stepping into Ponyville, Royal guards were everywhere. Standing guard at the castle, pushing ponies into their homes. Twilight's own guards played a prominent role in establishing order. Not many ponies knew that Twilight had her own royal guard. Because there was so few of them. Rainbow Dash and Applejack personally hired the guards. Applejack did the interviews, Rainbow did the trainings. The guards looked pretty impressive I must admit, purple armor with Twilights cutie mark emblazoned on the front of the chest plate and a purple plume on the helmet. Everypony in town stared in wonder at them, of course before trouble started.

"Why the hay can't we be out in our own town!?" A pony I vaguely recognized as Caramel trotted up to a guard and shoved him. The guard narrowed his eyes at the gathering crowd. I could recognize Lyra, Bon Bon, Flitter and Cheerilee in the crowd looking equally confused.

"What princess even do you even protect?" Caramel continued his rant at the guard, getting more and more physical.

The lead guard finally spoke up. "We are Princess Twilights royal guard now step back and get into your house. Now."

"You mean the princess who wants to ruin our fair country with her insane plans?" Caramel scoffed. "She isn't fit to lead, down with the princess!"

The crowd shuffled nervously. Mostly all of town knew the Princess and loved her. Lyra, Bon Bon and Flitters eyes turned cold and angry at Caramel. Suddenly, Caramel screamed out in pain. The crowd gasped and I looked back at Caramel. He was lying on the ground, blood pouring out of a broken leg as a guard stood above him, a nightstick held in his magic as he swung it down again on the fallen earth pony. The nightstick made a loud cracking sound as it connected with Caramels back, who cried out again as he was repeatedly beaten by the guard.

"You do not dare insult the princess, on today of all days. Is this understood?" The guard glared down at the barely conscious pony below him. Caramel managed a weak nod. Looking back up, I could see the crowd backing away as a guard with a medical symbol on her flanks approached. Looking closer, I could see Lyra smirking at Caramel. I forget Lyra knew Twilight personally as a filly.

"Does anypony else have any concerns they'd like to make us aware of?" The same guard questioned the crowd, swinging his nightstick nonchalantly.
The crowd shook their heads no simultaneously.

"Can we at least know why there's so many guards swarming town?" A pony with a rose cutie mark asked. The crowd made various sounds of agreement, looking at the guards.

"I will answer that, Sergeant". Standing beside him was Luna and Cadence. The crowd all slowly bowed before them. The guard nodded before joining his fellow guards at his post nearby.

"It is with a heavy heart", Cadence began holding back her own tears, "to announce Princess Twilight was murdered earlier this morning in Canterlot." The crowd made an audible gasp. Loud sobbing came from Lyra, who was being held by a stunned Bon Bon. Flitter collapsed and Cheerilee just sat down.

Forgetting Starlight was standing next to me, I felt a pony holding onto me screaming into my mane again. Glancing behind me, I saw Starlight holding on to me again. I instantly just hugged her as the sounds of screaming and crying came from half the crowd and my marefriend.

I'll never forget that day or the days that followed. The investigations. The shock as names came out of ponies who were involved. The public executions in Canterlot of all involved. And most of all, I certainly wouldn't forget Twilight. Sure, we had our differences, but we both loved Starlight. Twilight always told me I was welcome in her castle wherever I wanted and had access to all her libraries to study new spells with her. A permanent addition to my wagon was a framed picture of Twilight on her coronation day. And in all my shows, I made sure to have a moment of silence for my fallen friend and thanked her silently at the end of each show, by laying a rose I got at the end of each show at the framed picture of her. I vow to never let Twilight's memory be forgotten until the day I die.