The rainy weather makes my cave seem colder than it is. I stare outside as I see mostly nothing, until a lightning strike brightens up the boulder that I carved all the names of my dear friend's that passed away. Some too soon. There's never a right time to die. At least not for the ones who have to live afterwards.
All the memories of our times together seem to blur as the years pass. I don't want to forget. I'll eventually forget. I'm a dragon, and I live for hundreds of years. You can't remember everything after hundreds of years. Some remain, others are seemingly non-existent. The moment Rarity kissed me is still vivid, however, when it comes to mind, I try to shove it away. Mostly because Rarity was the first to go.
She turned 30, and became depressed. More than she usually would. It lasted for a long time. Her dress making boutique was shut down for business after another boutique seemed to stomp hers. She turned to heavy alcohol. Seeing as she was into fashion, she was always reminded that her talent seemed meaningless to others. I would visit her, but she was usually always drunk from depression. For months this feeling stabbed her. She would tell me about when she discovered she was a dress maker as a filly, and got her cutie mark. She told me at least a hundred times, and cried herself sick each time. I would try to comfort her. I loved her, and it was painful to see her cry. One night, she eventually kept trying to pile on the alcohol, as she was addicted. She died of alcohol poisoning that night. I came to visit her, and saw her body on the floor. I tried to wake her, but I soon found out she wasn't breathing. I broke down, and sobbed deeply into her corpse, and moistened her tattered, untamed fur. She smelled so strongly of alcohol. It didn't feel like the rarity we all knew too long ago, but it was her. I informed Twilight, and the others. We cried our eyes out. The next few nights, we talked, and reminisced of all the great memories we had with her, so we could say she's gone on good terms.
I found a boulder near a cave I went to constantly during depression as I grew older. I was able to carve her name in the boulder.
A few years later, we suffered the loss of our happiness in the dark tunnel. The one pony who told everyone else to smile. We lost Pinkie. She was diagnosed with cancer. She had a stomach tumor. She couldn't eat much, if at all. She told us she would stare at her old candy stash, and cry her eyes out because she wanted sweets so bad, but was forbidden. She lost her Pinkie-like glow. her mane was straightened constantly. Years ago, it was very uncommon for her mane to straighten.
She coughed blood sometimes, and vomited a lot. It got worse over the weeks. We would constantly visit her when she was in the hospital. Her chemo made her look lifeless. She didn't have a mane to have straighten, or curl up anymore. Before long, she said she "felt it slipping."
As she lay there on life support, she tried to sing. It was soft, and rough.
"My name is Pinkie Pie, and I am here to say, I will make you smile, and brighten up your day..." She coughed every few lines, but wouldn't stop until she finished the song. We saw her eyes close. "Everypony smile...smile...smile....." We all stood silent as her heart meter beeped, and showed a blank line, signaling no pulse. She was gone...
I went to sulk in my cave. As I put my head into the wall, I spot the boulder I wrote Rarity's name in. Pinkie deserves just as much. I carved her name in too. I'll miss both of you so much... So will everyone else.
As we grow, our next unfortunate passer, was Rainbow Dash. She was now 38 years old, still thinking she's the best. She was always confident. She just burst out strength and confidence. She tried to compete in a race. When it came for the race, she was accelerating fast. Out of nowhere, a pony tried to cheat, and damage her wing. It was only supposed to slow her down I guess, but it went too far. Her wing broke, and she fell at top speed towards the ground. No one was there to save her, because the other pegasi were too far forward. She plummeted to the ground, and broke her neck. She didn't survive, and died on impact.
She lived hard, and full. She died doing what she loved. It's hard to think that way when you're having to bury your friend though. I remembered my cave, and went to carve her name in. As I stare, I remember the deaths of the others. It's not crisp, or vivid, but it hurts all the same. I cry as everyone of the memories crawl into my mind.
It was 10 years later. The remaining ponies were 48-49 years old. I'm of course a fully grown dragon now. I had only visited every so often.
Fluttershy and Applejack died of old age pretty close to the same time. I flew in too late. I never got to say goodbye. Their names were carved. This boulder was becoming a burden. A burden of my heart. I look at it sometimes, not wanting to add a name. it's inevitable. By nature, all of them are supposed to die before me. I was told this as a child. I didn't think it would be so hard.
All that was left was Twilight. She died from old age too. She wrote me a letter, and left it at her house.
"Dear Spike
Through the years we've been friends, you were an amazing assistant. I called you annoying a few times, but please try to remember me positively. If you weren't around when my dear friends passed, I would have died sooner. I know it's hard to hear this, but it's true. I'm very old. Ponies aren't meant to live this long. I don't know how to make this easy, because it's not. No amount of sugarcoating can make you feel less pain. I want you to at least know that I thought of you. If I see any of the ponies when I leave, I'll make sure to tell them you said hello. I hate making you read this. I really do, but please Spike, remember that you are a very good, and kind dragon. Be strong okay?
-Your Faithful, and lifelong friend, Twilight Sparkle"
I tried to see her as best I could. I'm a large dragon. My head barely fit in the window. I stretched my neck in, and saw her body sleeping. She looked peaceful. I teared up while seeing this. I gave her a kiss on her head, and took my neck out of the window, and flew off, bawling my eyes out on the way to my sulking cave as I've titled it. I found the boulder, and carved her name.
.........
I sit here as the sun seems to rise through the moisture. It's nice, but I seem to hate everything. I take a thoughtful glare at the boulder. I look back at the carving tool. I grabbed it, and added my name to the boulder. The tool remain in my shaking hand as I gulp and take my final breath. Here goes.... Hopefully I see you guys again.
