“I was afraid…that I’d out live you.” Spike said, as he looked over Twilight’s shoulder.
“I know, but I never imagined that I would out live my friends” she said through tears. It had been one hundred and fifty years since the grave stones in front of her had been erected in Canterlot Castle’s courtyard. the one Twilight sat before read “Apple Jack, Element of Honesty”. with a slight flap of her wings, Twilight lifted herself up and turned to leave. Before she could take to many steps away from the now fully grown dragon, she stopped in front of a partially broken stone. On it rested a lighting bolt cutie mark under which said “Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty”. she placed a hoof on the stone and a tear ran down her cheek. A short moment passed when a large scaly wing was felt draping itself over her back. She opened her eyes and looked over to see Spike standing there. Twilight let out a subtle smile as they turned to leave the circular courtyard.
“She misses them sister” Luna said as she watched the two friends leave the graveyard. Celestia watched the scene from standing next to her younger sibling.
“Yes she does.” the ruler of day responded with slight sympathy hinted in her tone.
“Maybe it was unwise of us to allow her to gain such power?” Celestia let out a low sigh, and appeared to be pondering her sister’s query. Luna watched her sister’s expression as Celestia dug deep in her mind for the correct answer.
“It is who she is Luna. Twilight Sparkle is more than just the Element of Magic. She is also a being of magic. To hinder her prowess would have been more unfair than letting her grow to her full potential.”
“Even at the cost of her friends?” Luna looked down at the lifeless courtyard, her vision falling on each and every stone.
“How many friends, lovers, and company have we ourselves outlived sister?” Celestia’s question fell heavy on Luna as she remembered her first crush from the time before she had become Nightmare Moon. While they had dated the entirety of his life, they had never wed due to her parents not allowing it. They had said that she was not to become a widow because of nature. The day of his passing, she lived those words.
“Twilight, are you going to be okay?” Spike asked as they walked along the corridors of Canterlot Castle.
“I will be fine, Spike.” she said as they meandered to the Starswirled the bearded wing. “I may have lost my first friends, but their children have become my friends. And their children. And their children.” She stopped outside the doors and looked up at the green and purple reptile. “And I still have you, my longest friend.”
“Yep! I’ll always be by your side Twilight!” she smiled at his comment as she pushed through the doors. Inside, atop the crystal hour glass sat Sky Blitz, Rainbow Dash’s 5th generation grand daughter. She was reading an old book of Daring Do. The white furred, cyan manned pegasus reminded Twilight of how many times she had walked into this room to see Rainbow Dash doing that very same thing.
“How are you today Sky?” Twilight shouted up as she walked by, flapping a wing to readjust it on her back.
“I’m doing fine!” the Pegasus shouted back without looking up. It then donned on her that Twilight was back and she looked up from her reading with a jerk. “Hey Twilight!” she called after the violet mare as she sat the book down and hopped off the hour glass.
“Yes?” when she had stopped to look at Sky, she noticed that Spike had not followed her into the room. Sky Blitz landed next to her and grinned with excitement. All she did was stand there, starring at Twilight with her held grin. “Yes?” Twilight repeated after a moment of silence between the two.
“My mane! Do you notice anything about it?!” Twilight looked up at the young mare’s hair and noticed a familiar design.
“It…looks like…”
“Gammy Rainbow Dash’s!” she started dancing all four hooves in excitement. “Now you won’t have to miss her so much!” without saying anything she leaned forward and hugged her friend.
“Thank you, Sky Blitz…but please, let your mane out.”
“Does it bother you?” Sky asked stepping back from the hug. Unsure how to answer Twilight just looked unsurely into Sky’s glistening yellow orbs.
“I…Uh…no Sky. It doesn’t bother me. I just want you to be your own individual.”
“I am! But Gammy Dash was the most awesome flyer in Equestria! I want to be JUST like her!”
“That’s not wanting to be your own individual…” Twilight stated as she turned down one of the aisles. Sky followed closely behind her.
“Okay maybe not JUST like her…after all I don’t secretly have a crush on you.” Twilight stopped in her steps as her wings popped open uncontrollably. Her face burned with embarrassment. “So it was true! Mom told me a story of how Gammy Dash dated a few guys, and even managed to get knocked up by one, but she secretly always wanted to be with you.” Twilight looked to the floor, tears starting to stream from her eyes.
“Yes Sky, Rainbow Dash and I…were close. It may have never seemed like it because of how often Pinkie Pie and her ‘hung out’, but she started coming over for regular sessions of Reading the Daring Do novels. Then when we ran out of those we moved on to another series and then another. I offered for her to just move in one day, half serious and half joking. Much to my shock she agreed. However, the week she was going to move in, she ran into a pegasus while clearing the sky. Literally they ran into one another.” Sky giggled at this, slightly interrupting Twilight’s concentration. With a subtle cough she continued. “They had dinner that night, kind of an apology from him for spraining her wing. And to my dismay, they fell in love.” Twilight let a small frown cross her lips. After a moment of thinking she looked back at the perpetually interested Sky Blitz. “I’ve…I’ve never told anypony this…but I loved her…like I should have loved a stallion.”
“Mom said that Gammy Dash loved you too, but uh…Lightning Thunder stole her heart.”
Twilight looked away from the white mare, fighting back a tear.
“I don’t wanna talk abut it, Sky. I’ve been hurting all day.” Twilight flapped her wings once to readjust them on her back and then walked away. When she was a few meters away she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Your mane, does in fact look good like that by the way.” with that she continued out of the aisle and around the corner.
“I think we need to do something for Twilight.” Spike said looking up the throne’s stairs to Celestia and Luna. “I don’t think it’s healthy for her to go on like this.”
“I had hoped, that you, and the decedents of her friends could keep her sanity, but the bond she had formed in Ponyville so long ago was strong and hard to break. That was why I had her friends buried here.” Celestia said. “But it would seem the right course of action would be for her to forget her friends, so that she may allow herself to move on.”
“That will be hard, Tia.” Luna said. “She lost more than just her friends…her parents, her brother…”
“I am aware, Luna. However we must do what we can for Twilight to remain cohesive. Should she become rampant, we would be forced to destroy her, or worse, encase her in stone as we had done to Discord for a some time.”
“Then what are we to do?” Luna asked.
Looking Spike in the eyes, Celestia spoke, “We must remove everything from her that would remind her of her friends.”
“Even Sky Blitz?” Spike asked, assuming the statement had been directed at him.
“Even Sky Blitz”
“I don’t agree with how you’re handling this, Aunt Tia” stated Cadence as she walked through the doors across the room from the two thrones. Spike spun around to see her walking up, a mild scowl on her face.
“Cadence?” Celestia said in surprise.
“Yes Aunt Tia. Spike sent me a letter this morning telling me about Twilight’s condition.” she stopped at the base of the throne and did a subtle bow. When she stood she did an acknowledging nod to Spike.
“What of your duties to the Crystal Empire?” Celestia inquired almost in a demanding tone.
“The Empire is self efficient and can last a week without my care. Besides, Prince Glistening Armor is keeping watch over my throne.” Cadence’s scowl returned at Celestia’s brash welcome. Unable to deter her niece Celestia sighed and let a subtle smile cross her lips.
“I apologize, Cadence. I am as worried about Twilight as you are. However, I believe it might be for a reason none of you are aware.”
“What do you mean sister?” Luna asked, looking at her sibling’s closed eyes with great curiosity. Celestia opened her eyes and looked straight at Spike once more.
“The power within Twilight Sparkle is so immense, that I’m afraid that even the Elements of Harmony could not stop her should they have to be turned on her.”
“WHAT?” Spike said.
“She possesses so much magic, that she could destroy our world should she choose to.”
“But Celestia, “ Luna stated, taking a step forward, “Twilight is the only pony bound to the elements anymore.” Celestia looked at her sister and studied the worried look donned on her face.
With a light giggle Celestia spoke, “Not entirely. The Bearers of Harmony passed down more than just their blood lines.”
“What do you mean?” Cadence asked, now completely curious as to what her aunt was implying.
“They also passed along the ability to control the Elements as well. However, right now the Elements lay bound to Twilight. Should we have the descendants of the Bearers come into contact with the necklaces, then they themselves are to be bound.”
“Then why do you want to remove all the things that reminds Twilight of her friends?” Cadence asked as she put a hoof to her chin in thought.
“Because, I fear that she may be aware of her ability to solely control the elements, and as the old saying states ‘Power corrupts’” Celestia lowered her head in regret at voicing those words. She never wanted to imagine that Twilight could even possibly be corrupted, but even the strongest is susceptible of falling.
“Twilight would never be like that.” Spike said glaring at the princess of the sun.
“I agree.” Cadence said, walking up to her Aunt. She leaned into her in a sort of hug and then stepped back. “Let me talk to her. I‘ve experienced loss in the same way as her. Maybe I can give her some advice…or at least cheer her up.”
“Please Cadence” Celestia looked up to her niece, tears rolling down her white cheeks “The last thing I would ever want to do to her, is remove her from the very things maintaining her sanity.”
“I will make sure that it never comes to that.” She opened her wings and flew out of the room in a hurry. Luna walked over and embraced her sister in order to comfort her. Spike looked at the sisters for a moment and then left to join Cadence and Twilight.
Twilight flapped a wing, shuffled a hoof, then flapped her other wing. For some reason she could not get comfortable on the pillow she was laying on. It was her favorite pillow bed on the floor, near a candle in the back corner of the Starswirled the Bearded wing. This is where she always came to study. To think. To be alone. However Sky Blitz sat on her own pillow only a few meters away, reading one of Rainbow Dash’s Daring Do books. Her presence didn’t bother Twilight, if anything it comforted her. She stole a glance up from the pages of her book to see the white pegasus mare’s mane glistening softly in candle light. The way it twisted and turned looked so much like rainbow Dash’s it was scary, and Twilight found it really cute. With a blink, Twilight could see an image in her mind from over one hundred and twenty years prior. Rainbow Dash sat in that very spot, reading that very book.
“Twilight. Do you think you’ll out live us all?” Rainbow Dash asked as she shuffled on her bed. The violet mare looked up from her studies to look at the pony who had asked the question. She took a moment to look Rainbow over. The usually sleek cyan form had now was swollen as her stomach bulged from the presence of a foal.
“What kind of question is that, Rainbow?” she finally responded.
With a shrug the pregnant pony responded, “I was just thinking…” she put her book down and with the most serious look on her face she stared deep into Twilight’s eyes. “…could you keep an eye on my family?”
“Huh?” Twilight was taken aback by Rainbow’s request. The cyan mare rubbed her abdomen with a hoof and continued.
“You will live for a really long time…so who better to make sure my kids have a good life.”
“Are you okay Rainbow?”
“I’m dying Twilight.” the mare of super sonic speed looked away, letting tears roll down her cheek.
“WHAT?! How?!” Twilight jumped up and galloped to her friend. Once there she began looking her over.
“I…I have some disease…it only attacks pregnant ponies. The foal will be fine, but the mother never survives child birth. At least that’s what Redheart says.”
“No. No! we…we can use the Elements! They coul—” Rainbow Dash planted her lips on Twilight’s; she knew it was the number one way to shut the egg head up. Tears ran down Twilight’s eyes and began to drip off of Rainbow’s snout. When they separated, Rainbow picked her book back up and continued reading, tears running down her cheeks as well.
sniffle jerked Sky Blitz’s attention from her book. She looked across the room to see Twilight with her snout buried under both of her hooves and muffled snobs emminated from her. Surprised, Sky stood and walked over to the mourning Alicorn. She lifted a hoof and then lightly placed it on Twilight’s shoulder. The violet pony jerked and looked up, her blood shot eyes raising up to Sky’s yellow spheres. Without a word, Twilight jumped up and hugged her. The embrace was such a shock to Sky, that she didn’t even move, she just stood there, and let Twilight weep. After a moment or so she could feel the tears of dispair running down her wings. She took a step back, forcing Twilight to loosen her hug. With a smile, Sky buried her vision in Twilight’s. “Feel better?” she said softly and in an attempt at comfort.
“Yes…thank you Rainb—…Sky…” at first Sky found herself offended, but upon remembering her mane style was now that of Rainbow Dash’s, she just let a small grin crease her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” Twilight said apologetically.
“Don’t be, I understand.”
“Twilight?” said a familiar voice from the doorway. The Alicorn in question perked up her ears upon hearing her name.
“Cadence?” she mumbled as she pushed past Sky. The white Pegasus followed closely as they hurried into the area in the middle of the eminse library. Looking around Twilight found her long time friend walking slowly into the room. Once their eyes met, they ran to each other.
Twilight wrapped her fore arms around her friends neck and gave her the biggest hug she could. With that, they bounced into their rhythmic greeting. “Sun shine, sun shine, lady bugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” they chanted together; giggling the whole time. Sky was surprised by the sight flaunted before her, but amused simultaneously.
“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked excitedly. Cadence’s smile faded into a look of sincerity.
“Twilight…we need to talk.”
The rain beat down on both alicorns as they entered the graveyard. Each drop went unnoticed, as Twilight’s eyes danced across the names on each tomb stone. She walked up to the nearest one to her right. Engraved on its surface sat a lightening bolt jutting out from the underside of a cloud. Above the symbol read Rainbow Dash, element of Loyalty. “Rainbow Dash's was the first grave.” Twilight said looking at the moss covered stone before her. Cadence stood behind her friend, a look of sorry expressed on her snout.
“I'll never forget her…”
“And nor should you. Twilight…I miss Shining Armor more than anything else, but I can't let it affect me. I have a kingdom to run, just like Celestia and Luna. The same is expected of you, as Arch-Unicorn of Canterlot, and the element of Magic, it is your duty to watch over the kingdom’s spells.”
“How? I've lost my friends, my brother...mom...dad.…”
“Twilight, you still have me and Spike and my aunts. You're not as alone as you think you are. We’re here to help”
“Why are you here Cadence?” Twilight's cold question punched deep into Cadence’s soul.
“Aunt Tia was planning on moving this graveyard...and putting you into a state of solitude in order to protect your mind.” Twilight looked deep into her long time friend's eyes, and let tears stream from her eyes. She took in a deep breath and launched into the pink alicorn's arms.
“How do you do it?! How do you live with the pain?!” she screamed, ignoring the plans Celestia had for her and her friends’ final resting place.
“It's hard, it really is.” Cadence lifted Twilight's head to where they were looking eye to eye. “Your brother was the best stallion to have ever lived, and I will never find anypony to replace him. But my life didn't end when his did, I'm still alive.” She sat the purple alicorn up and did a small smile, fighting away the tears swelling in her eyes. “I live on to guard the Crystal Empire and to be your friend and sister.” as she said friend she pulled Twilight close and hugged her.
“I miss them.” Twilight said through a sob.
“I do too”
“Do you think she will be okay, sister?” Luna asked, looking up at Celestia. The two royal sisters had gone back to the observation balcony to watch Princess Cadence’s attempt at soothing Twilight’s aching soul. The older mare of the sun did not speak, she simply stared on, a stern, yet concerned look across her snout. Luna, upon realizing her question would go unanswered, returned her attention back to the two in the graveyard. Spike walked up next to the two regal sisters and peered over the railing at them. He frowned as he saw Twilight weeping in Cadence’s arms again.
“Do you think this will work?” he asked, looking up at Luna.
“I hope so, for her sake. She has lost many more than either Tia or myself ever has.” she responded in a gentle tone.
“Wow…” he propped his fore legs on the rail and looked down upon the two ponies. “Twilight…” he mumbled with concern.
Cadence sat her young friend back up and stepped back. “Do you want to go back inside?” she asked. Twilight wiped a way a tear with a now well drenched hoof and made a solomn nod. With that they turned and left the graveyard, only slowing momentarily to allow Cadence chancing a glance back one last time as they left. Without any exchange of words, the two mares meandered into the castle, through the halls and finnaly ending at Twilight’s chambers. There Sky Blitz was sitting outsaide, waiting imprssivly patiend for them to arrive. She was bouncing an old rubber ball off the wall untill she saw the two alicorns come up the winding staircase. At first she chuckled at the messy, dripping manes the two had, but upon seeing Twilight’s begrudged face, she squelched her laugh to make room for a concerned frown.
“Are you okay Twilight?” Sky asked.
“I’m not feeling good today.” Twilight said as she walked past the concerned pegasus and entered her chambers. Cadence stopped next to Sky and stared at the slightly ajar door.
“She is experiencing something that no pony has ever survived.” Celestia said to Luna as they walked through the halls of the castle.
“What?” Luna asked, shock erupting across her face.
“The loss of friends, family, and most importantly loved ones has clamed the lives of many alicorns who were at one time a unicorn.” they entered the Starswirled the Beareded wing and Celestia didn’t even have to go down any aisles. She sat with her back to the hour glass, facing Luna. With her horn aglo, books began to dance down the aisls and land infron of the regal pony of day. Luna walked up to the piling books and sat there, looking at their spines curiously. As the last book landed, Celestia picked up one from the bottom, being careful to lift and then put back the literature above it. She flipped through the pages until it landed on a page with an alicorn leaning in front of a gravestone. “This is the story of the first Arch-unicorn of Canterlot” Celstia said as she spun the book around for Luna to see the depicted imige. “Galaxy Sparkle the Gifted. He was, in mom and dad’s openion, the most powerful unicorn to have ever lived on this planet. He also was the first unicorn to become an alicorn.”
“Galaxy Sparkle? Could he be…”
“Indeed he is. Before you came to life, little sister, mother told me a story of how he was able to raise and lower the sun and moon without any help. I rememebr her telling me tales of how he, when younger, would mischievously lower the sun in midday, to have a laugh at grandmother.”
“He…could always do such spells?” Luna took the book with her own magic and began reading through its manuscripts.
“He was very powerful, but like his lineage, it was wild and uncontrolled. However, where his decendent could not acces her power, he had full reign. He alone is why our world only has one moon any more.” Luna looked up at her sister awestruck.
“How is it I have never heard of him before this day?” she asked, curiously returning to the pages.
“While he is the first Arch-Unicorn to Canterlot, he did not start off with such glory. At first he had been imprisoned for the malefic use of his magic. But when a dark creature of immense power attacked, he broke free of his impresonment and defeated the dark foe, thus gaining his stature as Arch-unicorn and becoming the first unicorn to become an alicorn.”
“So, Galaxy Sparkle…he…defeated Erebos?”
“Indeed he did. He created the Elements of Harmony that not only destroyed the demonic creatur’s doorway to our world, but also sealed him inside. Thus granting him the long life we alicorns naturally enjoy.”
“But…he died soon anyway?” Luna asked looking up from the book.
“As time passed, his friends grew old, and then died naturally. The comfort of their decendednts didn’t last long as he continued to mourn the loss of the friends he had made to create the Elments of Harmony. Giddy Pie, Apple Blossim, Tornado Dash, Secret Gem, and High Shy. Using their frendship he was able to create the Elements of Harmony we have with us today.
“Then, how is it, sister, that we were connected to the elements at one time?”
“Because the Bearers of Harmony had not been found. Not until Rainbow Dash inadvertently caused all her friends to gain their cutie marks was I able to locate them.”
“Galaxy Sparkle…he died of a broken heart?” Luna once again had returned to reading the pages of the book as Celestia had monologued.
“Indeed. Two hundred and seventeen years after his corronation as a prince.”Celestia said matter-of-factly. Luna looked at her sister with great concern.
“Then would Twilight Sparkle be destend to follow the same path?”
“As long as Cadence, Spike, and Sky Blitz stay by her side, I have no doubts that she would not…but…” Celestia looked away from her sister, a tear falling from her cheek. “If I must do what I must…to protect this kingdom…then I will have no choice but to entrap her in stone.” Luna sat back in shock.
“No sister, you wouldn’t do such a thing!?”
“If I must…” the great white alicorn could not hold back the tears any longer. The words she had spoken tore her own soul more than she had imagined them to.
“You said those very words to me, my sister. Before you banished me-”
“No, little sister, I banished Nightmare Moon.”
Spike watched fom the door, as Luna stood, walked around the books and embraced her older sister. He hadn’t been immune to all the loss. Rarety, the unicorn that had stolen his heart at a yong age was buried in the nearby graveyard. He turned and began to meander to Twilight’s room. With his head low, he thought of the years he had spent with the white mare of generosity. Many Hearts n’ Hooves days he had given her flowers, and heart shaped candies, but she never was swooned by them. While she had always though of his gestures cute, she never returned her feelings he held for her. He stopped, looking out a window at the cloudy, rainy sky, and let a tear run down his cheek. The last words she had spoken to him as her age took her from this existence danced through his head. “Even though I never retunred your love, Spiky-wikey…you were the best friend any mare could have had. Twilight is lucky to have a friend like you, who will live as long as her. Keep her close to you Spike, and never lose her friendship.”
“I promise Rarity, I promise that I’ll never let Twilight forget our friendship.” he mumbled out into the open air.
“Who yah talkin’ to?” chimed a sweet voice from behind the dragon. He spun around with a quick and sudden jolt to find a young mare, with a white and purple mane atop a light blue coat standing there.
“Oh, Dusk Bell…it’s just you…” he said in relife.
“You talking to Great Aunt Rarity again?” she asked with a chuckle as she walked over and leaned against the window seal.
“Yeah…I was just thinking about her again.” she let out a little childish giggle before she hopped off and began walking away.
“I was looking for miss Sky Blitz, have you seen her?” she asked as she walked down the hall. Spike pulled himself off the wall and caught up to her.
“Yeah I have. She was waiting on Princess Cadence and Twilight to go back to Twilight’s room.”
“Oh, Princess Cadence is here?” Dusk asked with a subtle smile.
“Yep. Here, I’ll take you to Twilight’s room…they may already be there.”
“Cool, thanks Spike!”
“Aw it ain’t nothing” he said with a giddy grin as they meandederd down the castle’s passageway.
