Prompt #263: "Immortal"

The gift of immortality. That’s what they said this was, all that time ago. I’ve lost count of how many years have gone by since it happened. It just never felt right to be this way. I wish I could go back and tell myself not to cast that spell, but the last time I had anything to do with time travel I made a promise to myself that I would never do it again.

I can still remember that day so clearly, how the entire town had been in a state of chaos that was almost up to Discord standards. All I did was scramble up five cutie marks, and look what the result was. When I fixed it, I thought everything would go back to normal, like it should be. Why did I have to become an alicorn? I had been perfectly happy for the rest of my life until then as a simple unicorn, but apparently that wasn’t good enough for somepony.

Some gift this is. I’ve lost count of how many times I wished I could have stayed as I was. As a pony, not a Princess. I mean, I don’t mind the duties, but I don’t ever get any time to be with my friends anymore. Or to read a book, like ‘The Art of the To-Do List’.

I feel like I should have said something, that I didn’t want this. But I didn’t want to disappoint Celestia, either. I thought if I refused the gift she had given me, that she would hate me or send me back to magic kindergarten. Or worse, to the moon.

The gift of immortality. The gift of living forever. The gift of perfect health. The gift of seeing your friends die. Everyone in Ponyville is long gone. I’ve lost count of how many generations there have been. I’ve lost count of how many times I wished I could have died along with them, hundreds of years ago. At least then I wouldn’t have to live without them for all of eternity. So instead of being able to die happy, I am forced to live in grief.

This is the gift of immortality. It’s not fun. It’s not glamorous. It’s not worth it. It comes at too high a cost. It’s a curse.

Yes, that sounds right. A curse. One that not even Zecora could break, if she were here.

I’ve lost count of how many of my friends have died while I remain unchanged. I don’t even have the time to visit their tombs.

Friendship is Magic, but if this pain is the cost of my immortality, then maybe I shouldn’t have any friends at all.