You, the readers, can see a purple-cloaked figure within the darkness. They turn to you, hearing her voice as female.
"Welcome back, readers. It hasn't been long, but I bet you are here for a reason—there are many reasons. The first and most important one is that one story you saw. That "could be" story in that far future of Equestria, where Twilight is still ruling in that universe and has taken Sunny Starscout as her new student."
The figure opened her book, flipping many pages, looking for that future chapter until she found it.
"Here we are. The Rainbow Prime Tree has many stories, so sorry if I had to make you wait."
She turned her book to you, smiling as her face was hidden in darkness.
"You want to know where that story goes with that Twilight Sparkle? Correct?"
The figure looks sad as she returns to the book, flipping a few more pages.
"Where her story takes her will involve her student, Sunny, Sunny's friends, and even her daughter Braver in this "Could Be" universe, and it is... not a pretty story, to say the least. So, instead of making you look into that far-off chapter, I will show you where it started—where the cracks of the hardship of losing the ones you care about and the meaning of 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' started."
She flipped back a ton of pages, stopping on a page.
"And it all started on a certain day and will forever be in the future days. A holiday created for Twilight for when she became the Princess of Friendship."
Twilight Day - year 1
Twilight opened her eyes and yawned loudly as she awakened in her oversized bed. She just lay there, looking into the wide ceiling. She wasn't used to waking up in the Cantorlot royal bedroom yet. Despite having her own room for years in the library, the Castle of Friendship, and even in this castle when she was a student for Celestia back then, it was still all new to her.
"Ugh... What time is it?"
The window was closed, but she could tell it was still dark. She needed to lower the moon and raise the sun so Equestria could wake up and start the day.
"Maybe a morning flight would be nicer than doing it from here," Twilight mumbled as she exited the bed and headed for the bathroom.
After cleaning up and putting on her saddlebag, Twilight stepped outside to the balcony and was greeted by the moon in the sky. She smiled as she remembered how her first adventure with her friends stopped Nightmare Moon, who was sealed away in this very moon. After the quick down memory lane, Twilight spread her wings and leaped into the air. As she flew into the night sky, a feeling of peace and serenity came over her.
"It's always so quiet in the morning. There is so much peace, not even a cloud in the sky. So many creatures are still asleep, not even knowing how wonderful their day will be," Twilight said as she continued flying through the skies, taking her time before she started her cycle duty.
She found the perfect spot—the same spot she loved going to whenever she was going to lower the moon or raise the sun. She landed on a cloud that Rainbow Dash had gifted her. It might look like a normal cloud from the outside, but it held an item box on the inside. She smiled as she remembered her friend giving this gift on her birthday.
"Rainbow, you are always there for me when I need you."
Twilight touched the box with her hoof, and it opened up, allowing her to put her saddlebag inside. But before she did that, she took out the Amulet of Cycle—the same amulet that Celestia and Luna gave her a year back to aid her in moving the moon and sun until her Alicorn magic fully matures when she gets older.
As she closed the box and did her mental checklist, a following cloud could be seen getting closer to her. Twilight was unaware of it as it got closer and closer until...
"HAPPY TWILIGHT DAY!" a familiar voice shouted.
Twilight screamed in fear as the yell caught her off guard, and her magic activated the amulet. As a result, the moon was forced to the other side of the world, and the sun came to greet the world—only to disappear and be replaced by the moon. This repeated as Twilight breathed in and out, pale white. She could hear the familiar voice laughing at her.
"That's not funny, Rainbow!" Twilight scolded.
"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't resist," Rainbow laughed as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Haha, yeah, that was hilarious," Twilight replied sarcastically as she looked back at her amulet. She faced her friend, who landed next to her. "Can you not scare the living daylight of me when I'm doing the cycle?"
"Sorry, can't make any promises," Rainbow laughed, putting her arm around Twilight's neck. "Anyway, Happy Twilight Day!"
Twilight mumbled at her as she was going to stop the moon from going into next week, but she stopped when she heard Dash say that.
"Wait, Twilight Day?" Twilight asked, confused.
"Yeah, Twilight Day."
Twilight blinked and sighed. "Should I even ask what Twilight Day is? Wait, don't tell me. You created another silly holiday to prank me."
"I wish I did," Rainbow laughed. "No, Twilight Day is a holiday created for you, and today is your first Twilight Day."
Twilight watched as Rainbow flew up into another cloud and came back. She floated before her and held a small gift wrap box in her hooves.
"Happy Twilight Day, Twi."
Twilight blinked, not sure what was happening. "What is this?"
Dash rolled her eyes. "Wasn't you listening? It's a holiday created for YOU! To show our gratitude and love for you, Princess. Here, open the gift. This is from me. The girls will be coming over to give you their gifts, and I had to give you mine earlier because I'm going to be busy the whole day with the new rookies in Wonderbolt training."
Dash flew closer and gave Twilight the gift. Twilight took it and looked at the gift.
"I thought I told you guys not to call me a princess."
"Sorry, bad habit."
Twilight looked to Dash, but she knew it was impossible to break a habit. She sighed softly as she looked at the gift again and smiled. She carefully unfolded the gift wrap without ripping the paper.
Dash's happy smile slowly became an annoyed frown as she crossed her arms, hating how long Twilight took to open her gift.
"It's not going to explode, ya know," Dash complained.
"I know, but I hate the feeling of ruining a nicely wrapped gift," Twilight answered.
Dash grunted, landed beside her, and slumped, waiting impatiently.
Seeing how her friend was impatient, Twilight chuckled and continued opening the gift.
Dash looked at her with an annoyed expression. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just surprised you didn't take your gift and just opened it for me." she gave Dash a sweet smile. "Somebody has matured, I see.
Dash was flustered by the comment and rubbed her neck. Twilight giggled when she saw how Dash reacted.
"Just hurry up and open the gift, dummy."
"Fine."
Twilight quickly took the paper off, and what she saw surprised her...well, not really, as she sighed and turned to Dash.
"Really? A picture of you?"
Rainbow smiled, posing. "I know, awesome, right?"
Twilight sighed as she took the framed picture out of the box. Rainbow's face was in the middle of the photo, with her grinning, while the background looked like the inside of her old tree home.
"Wow...what a great gift. Can't think of anything better than a framed picture of your face," Twilight replied sarcastically, looking at her.
Twilight was waiting for Dash to act sad, thinking she didn't like her gift, but she was caught off guard when she saw Dash acting embarrassed.
"Hey, don't make fun of my gift. It's a custom-made, one-of-a-kind picture of yours truly, the most amazing pony in all of Equestria." She looked away. "And..." she started to mutter something that Twilight couldn't hear too well. Dash looked at her, and with a tiny smile, she said, "If you ever feel alone or down, look at the photo." She patted Twilight's back hard, almost making her drop the gift. "I mean really look at it! You might remember something about it! That's the real gift!"
Twilight was puzzled by what she said but smiled and looked down at the picture.
"I will, and I love it. Thank you, Rainbow."
"Anytime, Twi. Anytime."
Rainbow looked at the sky, noticing something.
"Hey, Twi."
"Yeah?" said Twilight, looking at her but noticing that Dash was pointing at something. She turned to where Dash was pointing and freaked out. The sun and moon bounced off each other like rubber balls. "OH, NO!"
Dash couldn't stop laughing as she watched Twilight trying her hardest to stop the sun and moon from flying across the sky. Twilight was so mad that she turned to Dash.
"RAINBOW DASH!"
Twilight Day- Year 5
Twilight opened the door to her study, and before she knew it, the lights turned on, and all of her friends shouted at her.
"HAPPY TWILIGHT DAY!"
Twilight was so scared that she screamed and fell backward. Her friends quickly hurried to her side, asking if she was okay.
"Suger cube, you okay?" asked AJ, helping her up.
Pinkie hopped around Twilight, giggling. "I wish I took a photo of that! Your face was priceless!"
"Pinkie!" the others scolded.
"Ops," Pinkie laughed as she stopped.
"Sorry, darling. Are you okay?" asked Rarity, dusting Twilight's purple fur from the fall.
Twilight coughed. "Yeah, it just caught me off guard, that's all. So..." she huffed and smiled. "Still doing the whole 'Twilight Day' thing, huh?"
Fluttershy walked to the table and returned with a party hat.
"Oh yes, every year, and today is the 5th Anniversary!" Fluttershy answered, smiling as she blew into a party horn.
Twilight shook her in amusement, putting on the party hat.
"Can believe Rainbow Dash's suggestion for a holiday that celebrates me stuck with you all. The last time she suggested a holiday, it was Awesome Day."
Dash flew over to Twilight, face to face now.
"Are you going to approve that holiday!? A day about being AWESOME! Think of the awesomeness and the awesomeness parties and the-"
"Dash," Twilight said, holding her laughter.
Dash was still rambling on, not hearing her. The girls just laughed as they turned to Twilight.
"Here, Twi, this is from me!" said AJ, taking her hat off and pulling out a book wrapped in a bow. I hope you like it."
Twilight took it, undid the bow, and opened the book. Twilight smiled as the book was filled with photos of her, AJ, and AJ's family.
"Thank you, Applejack! I will treasure this."
"You're welcome, partner. I also made ya some apple pie! It's on the table over there with the rest of the food. Help yourself."
"Thank you, AJ," Twilight replied, putting the book on her desk.
Pinkie pops out from the desk, holding a pretty big box.
"OPEN MY NEXT! OPEN IT!"
"Pinkie, calm down. I will open your gift," Twilight laughed.
"Okay, okay," Pinkie laughed, handing her the box. "Sorry. I can't help it. Today is one of the best holidays of the year. Well, second-best. The first is Leif Erikson Day, but that's not for a few months." She put on a Viking helmet and a large red beard. "Hinga-dinga-durgen"
Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement as she opened the box and looked inside. What she saw inside amazed her.
"Pinkie!" smiled Twilight, pulling out a life-size gummy candy of herself. "I love it!"
"Thanks, I had a lot of candy-making practice to make that. You wanna know what the best part is? Your horn has a sour punch stick in it. I didn't want to make your horn tasteless."
Twilight chuckled, poking the gummy horn. "I don't even want to know how you made the candy like that."
Pinkie shrugged and giggled. "Trade secret."
The girls laughed while Fluttershy came over and handed Twilight a wooden frame photo.
"What's this?" Twilight asked, turning it over. What she saw made her tear up a bit. "Fluttershy!"
The picture was of Twilight's old pet, Owlowiscious. The last time she saw him was when she released him back into the wild, as she believed that she wouldn't have time for him anymore as she became a princess. In the photo were Owlowiscious and his family, who he had started.
"I checked up on him like you asked Twilight. I was shocked to learn he has a family now. He and his family were happy, and I took the photo myself."
Twilight hugged her friend, who happily accepted. "Thank you, Fluttershy."
"Anytime."
After breaking the hug, Rarity approached Twilight, who presented her with a beautiful purple dress inspired by her old Gala dress.
"Here, darling! I recreated your old Gala dress into this new one. You always looked wonderful in that dress."
"I love it, Rarity. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Twilight loved her gifts but turned to Dash, who was still going on about Awesome Day.
"Hey, Dash."
"And we can have an awesome movie night and then have an awesome takeout and-huh?" Dash asked, shaking her head and seeing her friends look at her. "What's going on?"
She could see all her friends had already given their gifts, and it was her turn. She blushed in embarrassment as she flew over to the corner of the room, picked up a long flat box, and returned with it.
"Happy Twilight Day!" Dash said, presenting her with the box.
Twilight took it, and the first thing she noticed was how heavy it was. She narrowed her eyes at Dash. "You didn't buy me a weight set or something? Look, I might be of had gained weight but-"
Dash's mouth was open, not sure what to say to that.
"Dash, you didn't!?" questioned Rarity.
Dash shook her head, waving her hooves before Twilight and her friends. "No, no. But I understand why you think that. It is heavy for a reason."
"Okay, then. Let's see what it is," Twilight replied as she opened the gift. What she saw surprised her.
"Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the gift.
The rest of the girls gasped as Twilight pulled out a beautifully large golden chest plate with her cutie mark engraved on the chest.
"Rainbow! This is amazing!"
"Thanks, it's custom-made armor. It will fit you like a glove."
Twilight put it against her chest but realized it was too big for her. Dash laughed as she watched Twilight struggle to lift it.
"Don't worry, you'll grow into it. Celestia said you should be her size in the future! Then it will fit like a glove."
"Wow," Twilight breathed, looking at the armor. She could see her own reflection in it and could see the girls gathering around her.
"I must say, Dash! This must have cost you a fortune," said Rarity, admiring the craftsmanship of the armor.
"I agree, that is a pretty cool gift," said AJ.
Twilight was still amazed by it but stopped when she heard Dash answer Rarity's comment.
"You have no idea, Rare! Let's say I'll be eating noodles for the next year or two," joked Dash, laughing a bit. Her laughter died down as she saw Twilight looking at her with a guilty look. "Don't feel guilty, Twilight. I would spend all the bits in the world to see that look on your face when you first saw it, and trust me, it was worth it."
Twilight didn't look convinced, so Dash landed before her and put her arms on Twilight's shoulders.
"Seriously, don't feel guilty. I spent every bit with good intentions, and I like you, Twi."
Twilight nodded. "I love you too, Rainbow." But she giggled. "At least it isn't another photo of you this time!"
Twilight expected her to be upset, but she was surprised to see Dash smiling.
"That comment tells me you didn't really look at it," Dash said, feeling so glad. "It also means you've been fine these past five years." She closed her eyes, and without warning, she hugged Twilight. "Happy Twilight Day, Twi! Keep being you!"
"...Dash." softly whispered Twilight, who smiled and hugged her back.
The girls were awed, and Fluttershy got her camera out and took a photo. Soon, the party started, but Dash had to leave as she needed to meet other bridesmaids for Spitfire's wedding rehearsal. After the party, as everyone was leaving, Twilight stopped them.
"Girls, before you go, I wanted to invite you to a night trip to the forest near Ponyville in eight months from now! The legendary comet, the Rainbow Comet, should be passing by, and I have been researching it for years and hoping to see it. I will have to review my notes and find the exact date, but I wanted to know if you guys were interested."
The girls looked at each other with sadness and back at her...
After the girls left, Twilight sighed with sadness as she snapped off her gummy statue horn and took a bite. It seemed her friends had plans eight months from now and couldn't join her in watching the Rainbow Comet from the forest. She felt so sad but knew she couldn't blame them. She looked at the photo of Dash on her table. She remembered what Dash told her, and her ears perked up.
"Wait, maybe Dash will be free eight months from now? I think the Wonderbolts will be off by that time."
Twilight took out a scroll and started writing a letter to Rainbow Dash.
The cloaked figure stopped reading and smiled.
"And that's how Twilight invited Rainbow Dash to that faithful night, where their stories and the universe's future will forever be changed."
She flipped a few pages, and her happy expression never changed as she started to read the book.
Twilight Day- Year 6
Twilight had bags under her eyes as she walked into the castle hallway and yawned. It was an awful night for her as her adopted daughter, Breaker, a black slime creature pretending to be an Alicorn or sometimes a unicorn, whatever Breaker felt like being, kept her up all night. She didn't know why, as her daughter, who looked like a young filly Rainbow Dash just without the rainbow mane, always went to bed at the given time. Breaker couldn't sleep and kept jumping around the room. Because of her overwhelming raw magic, Breaker started to shake the whole tower, keeping Twilight up all night. Speaking of which...
"Sweetie..." she groaned, holding the wall to prevent it from falling. "Please stop bouncing around the castle. I can't keep dipping into the royal funds to keep repairing the castle!"
Breaker was hopping around her but stopped, turning to her mother and had the best smile on her face.
"Sorry, Mom! But I'm so excited!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow, puzzled but happy that her daughter had stopped hopping around. The trip to the inside garden won't be hectic this afternoon.
"Excited? For what?"
Twilight opened the doors to the garden, and Breaker screamed super loudly before Twilight could get an answer from her daughter.
"MOMMY!"
In a black flash, Breaker was gone, and Twilight followed the blur where her daughter tackled someone through the garden wall. Whoever her daughter tackled left behind a pony-shaped hole, but of course, Twilight knew who her daughter tackled. Only one pony had that honor of getting Breaker tackled hugs, and that pony was...
"Rainbow Dash," sleepy Twilight yawned. Looking through the hole, she saw her daughter nuzzling Dash's chest.
Poor Rainbow was on her back and clearly in pain.
"H-Hey Twilight..." Dash sat up, pulled Breaker from her chest, and kissed her cheek. "And hello, my little sweet pea! Did you miss your mommy that much?"
"Yup!" chirped Breaker.
"Well, you just saw me yesterday," Dash joked.
Breaker giggled and wanted to hug her again, but Dash wouldn't let her as Dash flew back into the garden and set Breaker down.
"Whoa there, sweet pea. I know you are a mommy girl, but you should put all that love toward someone else. It's her big today, you know?"
Breaker blinked and happily remembered as she hopped around them, shaking the garden. Then she stood right next to Dash, and the two of them happily looked at Twilight, who was doing a big yawn, and finally noticed their smiles.
"What's with the big smiles?"
"Happy Twilight Day, Twilight! Mom!" said Dash and Breaker.
Twilight didn't process what they said as her brain was tired from not sleeping, but when it finally clicked, she smiled.
"Thank you."
Dash put Breaker on her shoulder and pulled Twilight by her hoof. She took them to the small pavilion, where Twilight could see the snacks and gifts from her friends, as it looked like they couldn't be here this year. Dash and Twilight sat while Breaker used her slime powers to squeeze between them and reformed into her Alicorn form, smiling as this was her first time attending Twilight Day. She couldn't wait.
"Happy Twilight Day, Twi. I can't believe it has been six years already. It feels like I started this small holiday for you only yesterday!" Dash said, getting a bowl of grapes and handing it to Breaker. "Within those six years, a lot of things happened. Like Starlight had a daughter, Luster Dawn, who's Breaker's new and first friend." She rubbed her daughter's head, being so proud.
Twilight nodded and tiredly turned to Breaker.
"And speaking of Breaker, this little cute brave mare came into our lives after we saved the multiverse and made it more..." She thought of what she wanted to say. "More 'exciting'?" She happily joined in with her daughter's laughter and loved her more than anything.
"But, you know, Twi, even if our lives have been hectic, I'm still proud of you for what you've done in those six years."
"Thanks, Rainbow," Twilight smiled, eating some strawberries.
Dash blushed as she wanted to say something else, but Breaker suddenly remembered something.
"I FORGOT MY GIFT!"
The two watched as their adopted daughter became slime and oozed out, then returned to normal as she ran to the exit—only to trip over nothing and roll out of the garden. They could hear her crashing into something and loudly falling over in the distance, and Twilight facepalmed.
"...there goes the royal funding for the next few months."
Dash chuckled and turned to Twilight.
"So, Twi. Have any plans for this Twilight Day?"
"No, I have none," Twilight answered, yawning again and slowly closing her eyes.
Dash saw this as her chance to say those three little words finally. "Well, how about you, me, and Breaker have a picnic, you know, a f-family outing." She started to blush heavily as she kept talking. "And when Breaker takes her nap, we can talk...and I can finally tell you that I l-l-l-lo..." but like always, she couldn't find the courage to say it. She sighed, but her ears picked up something and turned to Twilight. Dash happily sighed as Twilight was sleeping and snoring peacefully. "...I'll tell you when the time is right, Twi. I promised myself that I'd say those three little words to you. If Dashie could tell her Twilight that she loved her, then surely I can tell you that I love you, right?" She reached over and gently moved a lock of Twilight's mane from her face. She slowly leaned in and wanted to kiss her but stopped as Breaker rolled back into the garden and stopped before them.
Breaker was going to yell that she got Twilight's gift but stopped herself when she saw her mom sleeping peacefully against Dash's shoulders. She got upright, untied the bow, revealing that she had bought a blanket, and flew over and placed it over them.
"Happy Twilight Day, Mom," whispered Breaker, slowly flying away from her mother but being grabbed by Dash.
"Where are you going, sweet pea?"
"I thought you would want to be alone with Mom. Since it's a special day for her."
Dash chucked. "Well, I want you to be here too. We're a family, aren't we?" She moved a little, making room between her and Twilight. "You are our daughter, after all."
Breaker's expression changed from shocked to very happy. She slowly flew between them and sat down, nuzzling her mother's arms.
"Thank you, mommy!"
Dash looked down at her, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "For what? Loving you? Don't be silly. We always will."
Breaker slowly joined her Twilight in falling asleep but spoke to Dash one last time before she did. "I'll make you two proud. I will prove to myself that I'm worth being called your daughter. Thank you for taking me...mommy...mother..."
Dash huffs at that silly talk. "We are proud of you. We will always be. You are our daughter. Our pride and joy. Nothing will change that. I love you, sweet pea."
Dash looked down at Breaker and Twilight, who were sound asleep and smiling.
"I love you both."
Twilight Day- Year 16
"Happy Twilight Day!" shouted those who came to this year's party, which was held in the castle's outside garden.
"Thanks, everyone!" happily answered Twilight, who was now the same height and build as Celestia.
Breaker, now going by Braver, pulled her mother to the large picnic table where the food was while the others joined them. Only Rarity, Sunset, and Fluttershy came, but newcomers this year were Braver's childhood friends, Luster and Cozy. Of course, Dash was also here. As she turned on the boombox, rock music started blasting.
"Let's get this Twilight Day started!" shouted Dash, banging her head to the rocking music. Sunset joined her in the head-banging.
Only for the boombox to stop playing the music as a magical aura opened the record lid, replaced the record with a new one, and closed it. Soon, fancy music started playing. Dash and Sunset groaned at the sudden music change, only for Rarity to walk past them.
"This is Twilight's special day, and she's a princess. The music should be more 'classy,'" said Rarity, glaring at the two rock-loving mares.
Sunset and Dash pouted as the music changed but knew Rarity was right, as today was all about Twilight.
Twilight could only laugh at what she saw. She turned to Braver, who was sitting between Cozy and Luster, who were fighting over who would feed Braver.
"I knew Braver first, Cozy!" glared Luster, pulling Braver's arm.
"And? That doesn't mean you have a claim over her," shot back Cozy, who was pushing Braver's arm closer to her.
The two kept fighting. Twilight could see her daughter was just happy her childhood friends could join them this year for Twilight Day. Braver pulled them closer to herself and smiled, causing the mares to blush.
"A lot of things have happened over these sixteen years, right Twilight?"
Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who poured herself some tea and looked at her.
"I agree, Fluttershy." Twilight looked back and saw everyone having fun hanging out with each other. "Braver revealed to everyone what she truly is, and New Ponyville accepted her with open arms. She even made a friend group with Luna, Tempest, and..." Twilight still couldn't believe it as she faced Fluttershy with amazement. "With Tirek, Chrysalis, and..." Suddenly, a muffin wrapper smacked her and slowly slid down her cheek. She didn't need to look at who did it. "...and Cozy."
Fluttershy giggled as she watched Twilight remove the wrapper from her face.
"Well, you and Dash did raise her." They looked over to Braver, who was now dancing like Twilight does when she dances. "You and Dash raised her to be a very open mare and to see the best in everypony, and I have to admit, Braver does remind me of you two a bit." She eyed Twilight with a smile. "But mostly you, Twilight."
Twilight's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course. She's kind, sweet, smart, and loves helping others like you. You have to be proud."
"I am, Fluttershy," happily responded Twilight, looking back to her daughter. "Like what I told you years ago. I see it. She has it."
Fluttershy joined her in looking at Braver, which everyone joined around Braver and was now dancing.
"The spark. That spark. It's her like you said," whispered Fluttershy with a small smile.
"And it will never go out! I'm going to ensure it stays alight and burning forever!" declared Twilight. "I'll always be there for her, protecting her, keeping her safe."
"Twilight."
"I'll be the best mother possible—just like my mother, just like Celestia. I'll show her the wonders of this world, help her grow into a great and strong mare, and protect her from everything." Twilight remembered the awful life that Braver and Blitz had before they were saved by her, Dash, and their counterparts from different universes. "I will never hurt my sweet, brave daughter!"
Twilight Day - year 23
"HAPPY TWILIGHT DAY!" shouted everyone, as everyone could make it this year.
"Thanks, everyone!" declared Twilight, sitting at the table's head with Dash on her left. This year, the party was being held in Ponyville town hall. Everyone was here, from her friends and family to creatures she had met over the years and even Braver's friends. Speaking of which, Twilight noticed her daughter wasn't among her loved ones. Even Fluttershy wasn't here, but she remembered she step out to do something quickly with Discord. "Has anyone seen Braver?" she asked.
"She's running late; I'm sorry, Twilight. I have been craving cookies and marshmallow ice cream."
Twilight turned to see Luster and looked at Luster's huge stomach. With the biggest smile she ever had, Twilight used her magic to help Luster sit down next to her. Since Braver is part slime and how in the human universe, slugs are hermaphrodites, and slimes are the same in this universe. It took a while, but Braver got Luster pregnant.
"Luster, nonsense! You are pregnant. It's okay, and Braver is probably on her way. I'm so happy for you two."
"Yeah! I can't believe we're going to be grandparents! This is so awesome!" shouted Dash, jumping into the air. She was about to do a loop, but a crack could be heard, and she slowly returned to her seat, rubbing her back. "Oof, I already got the grand part down..."
Luster giggled, touching her stomach. "Thank you both. I hope the childbirth will go fine. This will be the first Slime and Pony hybrid in Equestria's history. We are really nervous about the birthing process."
Before Twilight or Dash could reassure her, a huge pile of food landed in front of Luster, making the three look at who put it there and smile. It was Cozy, who was slightly taller now, thanks to the Alicorn form she had. Her horn was still broken after her battle with Rainbow Sun Dawn all those years back, but she could hide it with her mane.
"Don't worry; I've been studying slime childbirth, as it seems there were rare cases of cross-breeding, and I'll make sure everything goes smoothly," answered Cozy, sitting down and pushing the plate of food to her best friend. "But you shouldn't just eat junk food, even if you crave it. You need to eat healthy."
Luster rolled her eyes and poked Cozy's cheek, smiling. "Whatever, I'm eating for two."
"I know, which is why you should eat healthy," said Cozy, rubbing her cheek.
Twilight smiled warmly. She was so happy to see Cozy becoming less...well, herself and more mature and responsible.
"Wow, Cozy. You have changed. You've been so busy with your archaeologist job. How did you get so much time off to visit?" asked Twilight, who was now being given a plate of food by Dash, who seemed still be hurting from pulling her back out.
"Well, that's what happens when you are your own boss, oh your highness," answered Cozy, giving her a cold stare.
"Cozy," warned Dash, not liking how Cozy talked to Twilight.
"I'm just messing around. No need to get all worked up."
Luster sighed, shaking her head and eating what Cozy gave her. Twilight placed her hoof over Dash's back, trying to calm her down, but Twilight noticed something was off with her. She was breathing hard and sweating slightly.
"Dash?"
Dash quickly hid her pain and tried to act like she was okay.
"What's up, Twi?"
Twilight narrowed her eyes at her, knowing she was hiding something.
"Rainbow...what's wrong? You don't get this tired or sweaty when you throw out your back. Did something happen?"
Dash was sweating now. She could feel Twilight staring a hole into her, and she couldn't lie to her, but she did.
"I'm fine, Twi! I need to rest a bit. That's all. Just watch," she smiled, standing up. "Just going to get some fresh air and-"
Suddenly, without warning, the windows were slowly covered in a black mist, and the room became black as if night had come. Twilight quickly looked to a window, wondering what was going on outside. She remembered the weather would be sunny all day, so why was a mist rolling in?
"What's going on?" asked Sunset as the other guests gathered at the windows. What they saw scared them. Sunset quickly turned to Twilight and shouted at her. "TWILIGHT! THE TOWN IS ON FIRE! THERE ARE SOME LIGHT BLUE FLAMES!"
"WHAT!?" Twilight shouted back as she quickly stood up from her chair.
Before Twilight could ask any more questions, the doors burst open, and the mist entered the room, slowly filling it. What happened next was Fluttershy entering the building with Discord and falling, but Discord caught her in time.
"T-Twilight..." coughed Fluttershy. "The town is on fire, some dark purple Alicorn..." Celestia and Luna flinched when they heard that. "Appeared in town, and Braver is..."
But Shy couldn't finish as the black mist approached Twilight, Dash, Cozy, and Luster. What they saw horrified them. Within the mist, the twisted faces of Braver could be seen. Her eyes were empty, and her faces tried to gather as one and reform back to its normal look, but she couldn't, and soon, painful screams echoed in the hall.
"BRAVER!" screamed Twilight, Dash, and Cozy as they were about to run to her, but Luster stopped them as she started to freak out and breathe hard.
"Luster, you need to calm down!" begged Cozy, as she knew this panic attack could be bad for the child
"But-But-Braver...she's," whimpered Luster, who could barely talk.
"Luster, please, the baby!" begged Cozy.
Twilight was so overwhelmed by what was happening right now, but what she heard next made her so scared and so pissed off.
"MOTHER!" Screamed Braver, as her voice could be heard from where the flames started. She was In so much pain that her voice was filled with agony. "MOTHER! I DON'T WANT TO BE A WEAPON AGAIN!"
Twilight spread her wings, and her eyes started to glow bright purple. Using her royal Cantorlot voice, Twilight shouted at the loudest and most mighty voice she had ever used.
"WHO DARES HURT MY DAUGHTER!?!"
And just like that, Twilight blasted out of the town hall and headed to the source of the fire. Dash wanted to follow her as she flew out of the building, but she quickly felt the same pain from before; she clutched her chest and crashed into the ground. She weakly looked at the dark sky, wanting to be by Twilight's side, but her body didn't move.
"Twi..." she gasped. Twilight blasted a purple beam at someone, who flew up and started to fight with her. "...I'm coming...wait for me..." Those were the last things Dash said before she passed out, and her friends and family hurried to her, worrying about her.
The cloaked figure slowly lowered the book and turned to you, the readers. Her expression was sadness, even though the darkness still hid her face.
"You must be guessing right, readers. That was the faithful day that Opaline Arcana unleashed her attack against Twilight rule for the first time. But unlike in the prime universe..."
The figure pulled out a comic book and opened it, showing a panel to you.
"She didn't do her attack behind the scenes as she did in the Prime universe; instead, she revealed herself as she met Braver, and the two fought over how Alicorns should be seen. Opaline believes that ponies and all creatures should fear and love the Alicorn race, as she sees her own race as the 'perfect beings,'" she explained, closing the comic and facing you.
"But Braver told her there isn't such thing as a 'perfect' race. We all have flaws and make mistakes, and the only thing we can do is learn and move on from those mistakes. That's how we grow. Opaline disagreed with that, and she attacked Braver by..."
The figure clutched her book, and her teeth started to grind.
"...by burning Braver's insides, making her slime parts boil, and unleashing a Black Miasma over the town. Making Braver into a magical bio-weapon...again. Faith can be such a cruel mistress, but even then..."
She opened her book and smiled.
"There is always hope, as long as you keep moving forward, keeping that spark alive. That is what Twilight did in saving her daughter and stopping Opaline. This universe's future was changed when that Rainbow Comet appeared in that night sky so many years ago. With Braver living here, this universe's story changed for the better, as we saw with Cozy and the other villains."
She turned away from you, and far in the distance, millions of rainbow sparks could be seen within the darkness.
"And just as Braver helped them, she did the same for Opaline. Giving her a chance, even when she hurt her. But it wasn't only Braver who helped her see the light; it was Twilight as well who helped. Be brave and reach out to others; listen to and understand them. Help them understand they share things in common, even the painful ones. It makes them feel happy that someone is glad to hear their voice and makes them cry when someone is there waiting for them. Without that, friendship would not exist. The spark of friendship is what keeps the very spark alive. Twilight and Braver are truly a wonder, aren't they? They have done so much for this world. Now..."
The figure slowly opened the book and didn't want to read this chapter, but she pushed on...
Twilight Day- year 28
This year, for Twilight Day, only Braver, who was a spitting image of Twilight when she was young, and her family attended. They took Twilight and Dash to the forest, where everything started on that faithful day when the Rainbow Comet appeared.
"COME ON, GRANDMA!" shouted a black unicorn with a similar mane from Luster's side. She was jumping up and down on the dirt road.
Dash slowly flew toward her and picked her up, smiling at her granddaughter.
"Take it easy, Black Star! Grandma isn't young, you know! Back in my day, I could fly circles around you! I could even do a Sonic Rainboom, but sadly, I can't anymore. I'm old, and my back hurts, and..."
Twilight walked up to them, smiling, and kissed Dash's cheek.
"Stop it, Dash, you aren't that old, you know?"
Dash turned to Twilight, smiling at her.
"Heh, whatever you say, Twi."
"Mom!"
The two turned to their daughter and Luster. They finally caught up and set the picnic baskets on the ground. Braver took out a huge phone with a magical crystal on the back and touched the screen. Thanks to Twilah, when she stayed in this universe during the Multiverse crisis, she taught and sold her design of how a magical phone would work to Equesrtia's great magical minds. This was the first prototype to be made and given to the royal family.
"Let's see! My parents' grave site should be up ahead." Braver looked back up and searched around, surprised at how much the forest had changed over the years. "I hope we don't get lost. It's been a long time since I've been in these woods. The last time I was here was when..." Twilight could see how sad Braver became. "...Blitz and Spark visited for the family reunion when their universe time differences matched our own."
"Time differences?" asked Star, not understanding what her mother said.
Dash lifted Star and placed her on her shoulders, smiling.
"It's egghead talk about how your aunties can't visit this universe unless our time is the same as theirs. That means we can't visit them."
Star crossed her arms and pouted.
"Oh, so their universe time is super slow?"
"Not exactly," explained Braver, using her phone to show them an image of a universe map that Spark gave her. "See this tree branch? This is our universe, and notice how the prism window is moving fast. Our time is much faster than theirs, but it is rare when it slows down."
Star smiled and cheered.
"Yay! I can see my aunties one day!"
"Yeah," smiled Braver, looking at her wife and then her daughter.
The family returned to walking down the dirt road, but soon, the road was slowly gone as grass grew over it.
"We must be close, right?" asked Twilight.
Dash shrugged but was surprised as Star jumped off her neck, ran ahead, and stopped.
"Grandma! Race me! Come on, show me how fast you still are! Let's go, let's go!"
"Hey, not fair! Grandma is old! I'll lose!"
"I'll join in," Twilight declared, running toward Star. "Come on, Dash, stop putting yourself down."
"But my back..." whined Dash, walking behind them.
Black Star and Twilight waited for her and smiled at her.
"I'm here for you, Dashie, always will be," whispered Twilight.
Dash shook her head, opened her wings, and blasted past them.
"Better catch up, kiddo! Grandma is still a fast flyer!" shouted Dash, but she started to sweat and hold her chest.
"Yay!" laughed Star, running after her grandma, and they disappeared into the woods.
Twilight was about to chase after them, but a cold breeze appeared, and she turned back—like she suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Mom?"
"Twilight?"
Question Braver and Luster, as they noticed Twilight looking up into the sky. Twilight shook off the weird feeling and told them she was okay. Twilight decided not to be in the race and just walked with her daughter and daughter-in-law.
"Another great Twilight Day, isn't it, Mom?" asked Braver, holding her wife's hoof.
"Yeah," nodded Twilight. "Even if it's just us, that's enough."
"That's right," smiled Luster, holding Braver's hoof. But Luster had to ask Twilight something. "I got to ask, why did you make a holiday about yourself? I don't want to be rude or anything, but it was always on my mind."
Twilight just giggled and explained to her.
"I'm not that big of a narcissist that I created a holiday for myself. Dash came up with it, and it just stuck, I guess. I can't believe how far I have come, how far we have all come. And I couldn't have done it without you, my family, and my friends."
Braver looked up at the sky and smiled. Twilight joined her, and they looked where the Rainbow Comet had once flown. Twilight remembered all the memories. Of the alternate versions of herself, Dash and her friends who came to this universe filled her mind.
"It was nice knowing them," admitted Twilight. "But, at the same time, I'm happy they are where they belong. Even if..."
"MOMMY!"
"Huh!?" said all three, seeing Black Star running out of the woods, crying her eyes out.
Braver was the first one to go to Star and hold her.
"What's wrong!? Did something happen?"
Star couldn't answer as she was too scared to say anything.
"Star, what happened!?" asked Twilight, getting worried.
Star lifted her hoof, pointed back, and said one word that filled her mother and Twilight with fear.
"Grandma."
The figure looked away from the book but turned the page as she spoke to you.
"...and this is where Twilight's spark started to flicker..."
Twilight Day - year 29
It was raining as Twilight walked in the forest. This year, Twilight Day, she asked her friends and family not to celebrate it with her. She told them she wanted some time alone, and they respected her decision. She walked through the woods, even through the rain, which calmed her down and reminded her of the past. But even though she was alone, her heart was filled with sorrow. She looked ahead and remembered the memory of Dash and her heading to the impact site of the Rainbow Shards. She even saw the ghost of herself and Dash running by...
"Hey, wait up, princess egghead!" yelled Dash as she followed memory Twilight down the path. "Why couldn't you teleport us there?"
Twilight remembers what she told Dash about a once-in-a-lifetime experience and needs to document it. She keeps watching as the ghost of the past vanishes as the rain gets heavier.
"Dash, slow down! I need to be prepared for it! I need to make sure that my quill is ready! I can't have it broken or missing, and-."
Twilight stopped as the rain hit her face, and she just stood there, her tears mixing with the rain. She became so wet in the rain that her wet mane now hid her eyes. She continued down the path and finally arrived at the crater. Down below were Nightfall and Rainbow Sky's graves, Braver and her sister's real mothers. An alternate universe version of her and Dash, but as she got closer, there was a third grave on the other side. She walked over and sat in front of it. Twilight smiled as she spoke to it,
"Stop going ahead of me! I don't want you to leave me." More tears fell down her cheeks. "...Dash."
Twilight lay down and rested her head on the grave. Her eyes slowly closed, and the memory of her and Dash returned to her.
"Come on, Twi! Hurry up! I'm not waiting for you!"
"I'm coming, Dash. Please... slow down. Take your time, look around, and enjoy the journey."
Dash looked back at her and smiled.
"Don't worry, Twilight. I and our friends made a promise to you, don't you remember? I'll find you again, no matter where or when. Even if I'm born as someone else, I'll find you again because we are meant to be. And no one or anything can ever break us apart. So, please, wait for me. No matter what happens, I will find you again, be together, and make you happy again."
The sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. Masking the loud sobbing coming from Twilight as she opened her eyes, reading the words on the tombstone.
"Here lay the most loyal and fastest Pegasus in all of Equestria. She was a wonderful friend and mother, and her rainbow was never truly gone from the blue sky."
Rainbow Dash
The figure turned a few pages.
Twilight Day -year 37
Twilight and her friends visited Rarity's grave and talked about what was going on in the world, like how trains were slowly becoming bullet trains. Twilight was quiet, though. Within her eyes, the bright spark that was within her flickered.
Twilight Day - year 42
Twilight and her friends visited Pinkie's grave. Twilight's expression was emotionless, and the spark within her eyes became more dim.
Twilight Day- year 50
Twilight, Fluttershy, Braver with her family, and even the whole town of Ponyville gathered on the apple farm. AJ's family thanked everyone for coming. AJ passed away a week ago, and the Apple family was thankful that the whole town was here. The Apples had their heads down in sorrow. While the crowd was silent, Braver was holding Twilight close. As the funeral went on, Twilight's eyes slowly lost their glimmer of life as the spark within her was struggling to keep lit...
Twilight Day- Year 59
Twilight stood in front of Fluttershy's grave, placing a flower on it. Soon, a lion's hand could be seen, placing pink and yellow flowers next to Twilight's flowers.
Twilight and Discord said nothing to each other.
Within Twilight, the spark finally burned out...
The figure slowly faced you, trying her hardest to hide her sadness.
"The spark. It's a beautiful thing. Once it's lit, you can't truly destroy it. No matter what happens, no matter what, it will always find a way to light up again. To keep living and growing..." The figure faced away from you. "As long there is someone or somebody to give you hope, to remind you why it was lit in the first place. To reassure you when you are in doubt, honesty. To tame your heart with compassion, kindness. To make you giggle in the hardest of times, laughter. To give you something without ever asking back, generosity. And..."
The figure looked up at the dark void, seeing more rainbow stars filling it.
"And those that will not abandon you and will always be there for you, no matter what, loyalty. With all those, the spark will never burn out, no matter what, but..."
The figure faced you slightly.
"When the spark is gone, can it return or fade away? Will the spark that resides in our hearts always shine or die out? Can it ever truly be rekindled or..."
Twilight Day- year 416
Twilight just stared at the thing. She blinked once, and a tiny spark could be seen within her eyes. She blinked again, and the glimmer of life reflected what she was looking at.
"F-Fruits! Apple, apple! Grape and Oranges!" Sunny mumbled as Pipp forced her to participate in her livestream.
"Hello, Equestria! Your new and upcoming Tuber is here with her new best friend! Sunny!"
Pipp moved the phone to show Sunny still rambling about fruits and returned the livestream to herself.
"She's...shy..." gulped Pipp, as she forgot about Sunny's weird habit of getting too scared, worried, or too focused on something and starting to talk about fruits.
"Pipp, turn that off!" shouted Zipp, pulling the phone away from her sister. Her hoof covered the stream. "You are lucky no one watches your lame streams. Sunny invited us because she wants us to spend the day with her teacher, on...on..." Zipp turned to Sunny, hoping she would answer what holiday it was, but she forgot about Sunny's weird habit and kept listing off fruits.
Pipp returned her phone and sighed, but the camera was pointed at a tall female Alicorn statue.
"Twilight Day! Gosh, I thought you least knew what holiday we were celebrating. Of course, Zippy wasn't listening and too busy." Pipp pointed the phone to a different part of the throne room, where Hitch glared out the door as Royal knights walked by.
Hitch huff at the guards. "Royal guards thinking they are better than us, the cops of Maretime Bay. The nerve! Just because they are better at protecting the town..."
The phone slowly zoomed in on Hitch's butt.
"Oh, I understand why you weren't listening, darling. Look at that fine-"
The phone was smacked out of Pipp's hoof, falling to the ground and breaking.
"S-SHUT UP! I DON'T SEE HITCH LIKE THAT!" Zipp looked away and blushed deep red. "Besides, I'm up and starting private investigator!" she hid her blush with a white visor. "We are just working together to help stop crimes in the town. Nothing else."
"Riiiight, sure," teased Pipp, smiling. "I bet you two will be-"
Pipp stopped as Izzy placed a huge chest between the sisters.
Izzy picked up Pipp's broken phone and opened her chest. In less than five seconds, she fixed the phone and handed it back to Pipp.
"A-A-A-" Izzy, stuttering because she couldn't say 'all,' placed her hoof on her lap and tapped along what she wanted to say. "All done! Be careful next time! That phone was hard to fix, even for me."
"Thank you, Izzy!" smiled Pipp, looking at her repaired phone and then Zipp. "And as I was saying, I bet you two will be a cut-"
"Can you girls be quiet, please?" begged Opaline, wearing a secretary outfit and fixing her glasses, as she was in the middle of telling Twilight her plans for today. She tried to speak, but the two Pegasus sisters were still going at it. She gave up and turned to Braver, who was standing next to her. Looking even more like her mother. "Why did you even allow the Princess's student friends inside the throne room?"
Braver happily looked at Sunny, who started calming down as Misty whispered to her.
"Because Sunny suggested it, as it's Twilight Day! My mother hasn't really celebrated Twilight Day since..." Her happy smile became a sad one. "...you know why." But her smile returned as she saw Sunny smiling and talking normally again. "Sunny is like the warm sun itself, you know? Always brightening our lives. She's so smart, kind, funny, and-."
Opaline rolled her eyes and just pushed up her glasses, returning her attention to Twilight, but noticed that Misty was in front of her.
"Yes?" asked Opaline in the most annoyed voice.
"Ummm, I was wondering if it's okay for us to be here. If not, I'll make everyone leave."
Opaline couldn't hear what Misty was saying, but seeing that sad and cute face, she caved in, tossing her notepad away.
"I give up! I'll be taking my lunch break now!"
Misty and Braver watched her leave, turn at each other, and laugh.
"I'm sorry!"
Braver looked over and saw Sunny blushing and feeling ashamed that inviting her new friends was a bad idea.
"When you told me about Twilight Day, I just wanted to share it with my new friends I made and-and-PINEAPPLE!"
"No, no, Sunny," reassured Braver, placing a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "This was the right thing to do. Twilight Day isn't just about celebrating my mother, no little Sunny." Braver lowered her head, being at eye level with her now and giving a warm smile like a mother would give, which Sunny loved seeing, as she never had a mother or even a father, as she was raised in an orphanage.
"Twilight Day is a holiday meant to celebrate all of those who we hold dear. Friends, family, and loved ones. It's a reminder to appreciate all those who have brought so much happiness and love into our lives." Braver nuzzled her cheek and turned to Sunny's friends, who gathered around. "My mom would love to meet you all." She looked back at Sunny, who was feeling better now. "And never doubt yourself, Sunny. You have a wonderful light inside of you. It's a morning dawn slowly filling the dark world with such warmth. So, don't hide that light. Show it to the world. Never be afraid, Sunny. Don't let that spark fizzy out. My sister, Spark, always talked about the spark, the one in the heart. And no matter how hard the darkness tries to put it out, the spark will always burn, but you must believe in yourself, Sunny."
Sunny started to tear up, feeling so much love from Braver's words.
Braver looked up at her mother, who was still speechless on her throne.
"Isn't that right, Mother?"
Twilight blinked again, her spark was back but...
"Yes, my daughter is right, my faithful student."
Sunny's eyes were full of sparkle and wonder upon hearing those words. It was her dream to be Twilight's student, which became real at the start of the year.
"And to your friends, a big welcome and thank you for being here today. I'm honored that you decided to be here. I hope that I can call you all..." Twilight blinked once more, and the spark wasn't colorful. It was dark and grey, like something was missing. "My..."
Sunny jumped for joy, ran to the throne, and hugged Twilight.
"I promise I won't let you down, Teacher!" she smiled, but her bad habit appeared again. "LEMONS!"
The figure appeared behind Twilight, shaking her head in sadness.
"The spark that resides in the heart of us all, will it always shine, or will it die out? Can it ever truly be rekindled, or will it fade away and still be burning? Burning without the colorful reasons why it was truly lit in the first place. Hope is a strong thing, but it can also be weak. A tiny little flicker can go out and relight with false reasons."
Within the reflection of Twilight's eyes, Sunny's friends were there —but when she blinked, standing before her weren't Sunny's friends anymore but her own. Rainbow Dash and her friends kept their promise to her; they returned to her. She hugged Sunny tight—a little too tight—as a creepy smile formed across her face.
"...my friends."
The figure shut the book and sighed. She turned to you, smiling with hope.
"Again, this is where this story ends...for now. It's just a 'What could be,' as that universe story is still being written."
She looks at the golden tree and sees millions of rainbow stars all coming together above it.
"Where its ending is still being written. The future has many possibilities; even the smallest choices can make a huge difference."
She looked back at you.
"This story is far from over and will continue. This is the beginning, where everything is coming together, and it is just the start."
She slowly headed to the tree, seeing it turning black and twisted...then back to normal.
"The start of the end. The end of the true ending is in sight."
The golden tree was back to normal, but the black void was now becoming white. A giant humanoid appeared above the tree, which then disappeared.
"It's just the start, and it's just the end. A spark and..." Her hood was blown off, revealing who she was. She looked familiar as if you had known her your whole life. Like she was always there for you, always pushing you forward. "A hope."
"The End...for the time being."
Author's Note
I learned about Twilight Day, and I wanted to write something about it.
I decide to write this g5 fic in the future when the main fic series is done
