In Canterlot, Princess Celestia was walking with Twilight down one of the very VERY long halls that the mountaintop castle boasted. Celestia and Luna had recently returned to Canterlot as part of their third trip around the world, and were glad to be home for a little while.
By this time, Twilight was about as tall as Celestia herself. 'I always knew we'd be seeing eye to eye one day, but this isn't how I imagined it.' Celestia thought to herself, chuckling inwardly.
"I'm all for surprises, Celestia," Twilight began, "But really... I've been having trouble keeping calm, concentrating. All of that. This is beginning to frustrate me."
Celestia attempted to assuage her fellow Princess's woes. "Worry not, Twilight; We're almost there. And I think you'll like the surprise."
Turning down another hallway, they stopped a few rooms over. Twilight gasped at what she saw.
There was a monument to her best friends; those she'd lost some years ago. There were five stained glass images, one for each. Before them there were small displays with their Element of Harmony and some items that they'd often have.
Twilight smiled and began to shed a few tears. "Celestia..."
"I had this made for you, to remember them by. You've been having trouble concentrating and staying calm recently, right? Losing the ones we love does hurt; I've known that pain many a time in the past. But what's important is that you hold their memory close to you. Even after so many years, I guess only recently did it really hit you, eh?"
Twilight strode forward a few steps. "I'll let you have a moment with your friends, here." Celestia said, half jokingly. "You know where I'll be."
And with a flash of her golden magic, she was gone.
Twilight went to examine each display.
Applejack: Paladin of Honesty
Between Twilight and the stained glass window was a stand that held a coiled rope, a jar of apple jam from Sweet Apple Acres, one of her iconic stetson hats, her red tail ribbon and in the center, a re-creation of the orange apple-shaped Element of Honesty.
"Applejack..." Twilight began, "You were the first one that approached me. You immediately wanted to be my friend. I wasn't interested back then. I wish I had known better.
You were always the most straight-up of any of us; If we wanted an honest opinion, there was nopony better to come to. It was rather... refreshing when even after all of those years, you were always just as straight forward as always."
She looked to the next display.
Rainbow Dash: Champion of Loyalty
Twilight smiled a bit more widely. "Rainbow Dash. I remember the first time we ran into each other. Or more accurately, when you accidentally rammed into me."
On display were Rainbow Dash's Wonderbolt Captain's symbol, her iconic goggles, one of her feathers in a separate transparent jewel case and a recreation of the Element of Loyalty, red lightning-bolt-shaped jewel at its center.
"You always stood up for what you believed in, Rainbow." Twilight continued. "When it came to the crunch, there's nopony I would trust more to fight beside me. More than once you were the difference between success and failure. You saved our hides more than a few times. You could always be counted on to stick to your guns."
She turned to the next.
Rarity Belle; Muse of Generosity
"Ah, Rarity, Rarity, Rarity. Who would ever forget about you?"
On display were a seamstress's kit, a few gemstones, (oddly enough) a hard hat with a bow on it and in the center, the Element of Generosity's re-creation, violet diamond-shaped jewel shining softly in the dim light.
"You were always the most... prissy of the lot of us, but also one of the tougher among us. Surprisingly so. You were also a surprisingly competent fighter.
To say you had a flair for the dramatic would be to do you a disservice. Everything you did you had to go all-out. First class or no class, right?" she chuckled a bit at that. "Ever since then I've occasionally gone back to that spa to have my wings preened. Aloe and Lotus' business was passed to their daughters, Bromeliad and Melaleuca, then to their daughters, Lemongrass and Rosewater. I'm sure you'd have loved to meet them."
The next display was up.
Fluttershy; Druid of Kindness
"And Fluttershy... You were always the second hardest to get a read on."
On display were some stuffed animals (a white rabbit, a brown bear and a phoenix), a sun hat that she would occasionally wear, a wreath of flowers and the recreation of the pink butterfly-shaped Element of Kindness,
"Being shy was in your nature. It's part of your name, after all. But you didn't let that define you. Those training sessions with Iron Will actually did have a positive outcome, didn't they? I'm sure he'd have been glad to hear that. I know that Discord was sad to see you go as well. He hasn't been taking your absence well either. I might have to get on that. Anyway,
When it came time to do what had to be done, you always tried to go the extra mile. I remember Rainbow Dash telling me about the waterspout; how you managed to outspeed most of the faster fliers there. And remember the Mane-Iac? The look on her face when you used Saddle Rager's power? Priceless!" Twilight laughed openly at that.
She turned to the fifth display.
Pinkamena Dianne Pie; Bard of Laughter
"And no party would be complete without you, Pinkie. You were the toughest to get a read on -and ALL of us tried!" she rolled her eyes at that.
On display were a pack of balloons, a miniature party cannon, a small toothless alligator plushie and the recreation of the Element of Laughter, blue balloon-shaped jewel at the center.
"But that was part of your charm, wasn't it? You could always be counted on to make things interesting, and knew just how to cheer most Ponies up. Every party you made was unique, every cupcake was delicious, every song you'd sing was... energetic, at least."
Twilight stepped into the center, her tears beginning to flow freely. "I loved you all. This is more than I could have asked for... but... but... Oh! What's the use?! I don't need the memory of you all!"
Unbeknownst to Twilight, her magic was reacting to her emotions, energy beginning to swell in the room.
"I need you, girls! I need to see your faces! To hear your voices once more! To hold you close."
By this time, she was so deeply into her despair that she didn't notice the steadily growing field of energy that was flowing about her.
"I want to see you again! I need YOU!"
Twilight rose into the air, and with one last despairing cry, the energy that she was building up was released. The magical blast rocked the entire room, destroying all five displays and blasting the stained glass pieces to smithereens.
Twilight fell to the floor, utterly exhausted after that effort of power. She tried to get up, but collapsed, barely able to raise her head fully, at the moment.
"Twilight? Are ya okay, sugar-cube?"
"Applejack? Am I hearing voices in my head again?" Twilight queried groggily.
"Well, I would certainly expect you'd be hearing some ringing, after a spell like that, darling."
"Rarity? What-"
Finally startled to full wakefulness, Twilight looked up. and what she saw shocked her.
All five of her friends were standing before her. All of them had a set of horns and wings to match.
"Am I hallucinating? Say... are you all taller than the last time?"
"Well, that's possible too, of course. But you look shorter than the last time I saw you, if you don't mind my saying so."
Examining herself, Twilight discovered that her shy friend was indeed correct. In expending all of that energy, she'd reverted to a much shorter form, akin to when Luna was released from Nightmare Moon. Spreading her Alicorn magic among the five of them was likely the cause.
"You had us worried for a bit, egghead." Rainbow Dash's voice came, tauntingly.
Twilight started crying openly again "I missed you all so much!" She tried to get up again, but was still spent.
For once, Pinkie Pie declined to comment and instead just tackle-hugged the purple princess, joined soon thereafter by the rest.
Immortality wouldn't be theirs again, not for any of them, but their reign together would be a long one. And that, as far as they were concerned, was more than enough. As Twilight asserted, a long-ish life with those you love is better than an eternity alone.
