Failing Friendship (an Infection AU story)

Sapphire Star loved the rain.

The alicorn loved the way the damp earth felt under her hooves, how it would cling to her dark magenta coat and drench dusky blue hair. She loved shaking it from her wings, and lashing her tail to drench her dad when they’d come in from playing in the rain, much to her mother’s feigned outcry.

She didn’t love the rain so much today.

Rainbow Dash had asked her mother if she wanted to postpone the rain until after the funeral. No one would fault her for it, the storm-colored pegasus promised, but she had declined.

Twilight Sparkle stuck to a schedule. The rain was important, and she knew her husband had loved it too. It seemed fitting for it to rain today.

Dressed all in black, under a magical shield to hold the rain at bay, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria, opened her mouth to speak.

“I first wish to express my gratitude for coming to… such a sudden event. We are gathered here to mourn the loss of a great stallion, of a loving husband and father, and of a noble knight, Flash Sentry.”

Lemon eyes flicked to her right, where the portrait she’d had commissioned sat on its easel. She wished it could talk to her, to tell her that he’d be home soon, to whisper what she needed to hear.
But it could not, and she had to press forward.

“For all my time as Princess, I’ve been good at giving speeches. I can ramble on about magic, prattle on about the stars and the colors and all of the knowledge I’ve learned in my years but I can’t-” She pauses for a moment, grief’s vice tight around her heart- “-I don’t have the words to explain how I feel right now.”

“Flash was one of my closest friends. He was my partner through life. He helped bring my daughter into this world. He helped keep me sane when stress from my position got too much. He stayed with me through everything.. If I had known that he wouldn’t come home after this mission I would’ve.. I would’ve told him not to go. I would’ve been selfish, and…”

Her voice warbles as she tries to hold herself together. She’s the Princess, for the Sun’s sake. She has to be better.

Twilight looks down at her notes, frowning as she realizes that the ink is smeared, her tears having drenched the notes she’d prepared.

“It’s… not fair.” She finally murmurs, muscles tense. “He had longer to live. He was supposed to be here for Sapphire. For me. It’s not fair that he’s gone, he shouldn’t be. He should be in the castle, drinking his favorite tea and annoying the recruits with his stories and… and…”

It’s Rarity who goes up, the Earth pony pressing against her side and offering her a handkerchief.

“Come on Darling, let’s let somepony else speak, okay? You should sit with Sapphire.”

Twilight resists for a moment, but nods, leaning into her friend as she’s escorted away from the front. One of the royal guards comes forward to speak, She doesn’t remember who. She doesn’t care right now. Instead she sits down next to her daughter, wrapping a wing around her. Two sets of lemon-colored eyes meet for a moment before Sapphire tucks her head under her mother’s chin, and Twilight rests her head on the top of hers.

She doesn’t realize that it’s time until Sapphire nudges her gently, and the two get up, followed by Fluttershy, and Rarity’s daughter, Amethyst. The four mares line up, and one by one, horns ignite, picking up the casket together and lowering it into the hole. The earth covers it, and the tombstone is erected in silence.

Flash Sentry is dead, and Equestria mourns.

“Are you sure about this, mom?” Sapphire looks up at her mom as she closes her suitcase, checking to make sure she has everything.

“I am.” She smiles. It’s been a week since they buried the third member of their family, and the castle had been… solemn. “It’ll be good for you to get out of Canterlot, and you know Starlight has been begging you to come visit more.”

Queue the groan from Sapphire, juxtaposed with the smile on her face. ”I need to go stay with Aunt Starlight? Oh no, the horror…” The trailing voice turned into a laugh, her own mother lighting up and chuckling. This was the most normal that both had felt since the funeral, but Sapphire did have a concern.

“Are you going to be okay? With Uncle Spike being away on business, and all.. I know it gets lonely here.”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Her mother’s smile shifted, and Sapphire knew she was still grieving. She always would be.

“If.. if you’re sure, okay?”

“I’m fine. Please go, you’ll miss the train.” She wouldn’t, she’s ready a solid hour early, but she didn’t want to argue with her mother anymore.

“I love you, mom.” She hugs her close, pressing into her mother’s deep midnight-colored coat and letting out a hum, feeling the familiar warmth of her mother’s wing over her.

“I love you too, my comet. Promise you’ll at least write?”

“Of course! As long as you don’t work too hard. You know you can always call for help.” Celestia and Luna were on vacation, Twilight still not having informed them about her loss. She was always too stubborn about doing it herself.

“I will if I need it. Now go on, shoo. You’ll be late.” There’s another laugh, and Sapphire Star joins in before picking up her bag with her magic.

“Alright! Alright. I’m going!” She starts trotting away, laughing as her mother gently swats at her with golden magic. Wings spread and push as she takes flight off her balcony, a few stray orange and magenta feathers catching on the air and drifting on the breeze.

Twilight smiles, before the vice tightens, and she sighs, turning off the lights in her daughter’s room and turning. She’d finished early so she could see her daughter off, and now she wanted nothing more than to rest.

She asked one of the castle staff for tea, something sweet, and the unicorn nodded, trotting off to the kitchen as she sat down near her fireplace. Golden light ignited around her horn, and the fire roared to life, the warmth helping the chill that had settled into the alicorn’s bones, and loosening the vice on her heart. She looks up at the portrait above the fireplace. One she’d gotten made once her daughter had grown a bit, the three posed together, bright smiles. Flash had a wing around her, holding her hoof with love. He was always so proud of her, of both of them, and she could almost hear Flash now.

“Cheer up, Twily! Come on, let’s go get that tea you like, yeah? Or we can take a walk through the gardens?” He’d say, always trying to get her up and moving and out of the library. He was good at that, good at respecting when she needed space, but good at stopping her from rotting. He completed her.

And he was gone.

Feather Duster stopped at the door, hearing the soft sobbing on the other side. She knocked, gently, but loud enough to alert the Princess that she was there. She’d brought the tea, and a few cookies that the staff and prepped. And a few pieces of fruit. She was making sure the Princess got her nutrients, even if she was grieving. It’s what Flash would’ve wanted.

“Come in..” Twilight’s voice finally came, and the unicorn opened the door, pausing at the dark room before sighing. Green light lit up the room from her horn, and she set the tray down before reigniting the fire and opening one of the windows, enough to let the light into the room, but without shining it directly on the princess.

“I brought you the tea you requested, Princess.” She nudged the cup over, and Twilight nursed the cup in her hooves, feeling the warmth. “The staff also brought you some light snacks, please eat some of it, alright?”

“Thank you, Feather Duster.” The Princess murmurs, eyes just watching the way she swirled the tea in her cup. The gentle shifting relaxed her a bit, coupled with the crackling fire and blanket… blanket?

The green glow faded off the blanket that Feather Duster draped around her, the older mare gently patting her back for a moment. “We’ll all be here if you need us, Princess.”

“Thank you.” Twilight nodded, pausing as Feather Duster went to close the door behind her. “Wait… could… could you keep the door open?”

“Of course, your majesty. Call if you need anything.” The mare bows, turning to fulfill her other duties.

Twilight took a sip of her tea, curled up in her chair. She leaned into the blanket and set the cup down before the vice squeezed, and she sobbed.