Princess Twilight's Lament
Prologue: An Alicorn's Burden
"Time may be all conquering, mortals may rise and fall like the changing of the seasons, but Friendship? Friendship is timeless and magical. Friendship is...immortal."
The newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle took to the balcony, gazing over the assembled subjects of the capital. Everypony was in patriotic cheer for the crowning of their newest and youngest sovereign.
Twilight waved regal hooves at them all, the gold of her shoes gleaming amongst the confetti in the sunlight-filled air.
Flanked by Princesses Celestia and Luna, the lavender Alicorn felt her chest swell with pride, as well as trepidation.
Celestia, Twilight's mentor and guide for the vast majority of the mare's life, leaned a hoof on her shoulder in a gesture of support. "They're waiting. Say something, Princess." She murmured to Twilight ever so quietly.
"Oh, Umm.." After a second of uncertainty, Twilight found her composure, and her newly found royal instincts took over. Clearing her throat, she spoke. Her words flowed flawlessly, and without hesitation.
"A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship," As she spoke, she turned to her friends gathered behind her in the doorway, gesturing them over, "which is something I didn't really care much about. But now, on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you." As they approached, all five had tears of joy and amazement in their eyes.
Twilight now faced each of them as she continued. "Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful." With her right hoof to her chest, she bowed to them, then they all leaned over the balcony, peering at the still cheering masses.
"Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria! Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!"
The crowds cheered jubilantly as the six friends left the balcony. Almost at once, Shining Armor, alongside his wife, Princess Cadence, greeted the Princess.
"Twilight! I'm so proud of you!" Shining shared a brief hug with his younger sister. Pulling away, Twilight noticed tear drops, streaming down from her older brother's eyes.
"Are you crying?" The Alicorn inquired.
Still smiling, Shining Armor wiped his eyes covertly. "Of course not, it's... it's liquid pride. Totally different thing." His smile turned to a grin. Both laughing, the two siblings embraced each other briefly, before Shining Armor and Cadence pulled away.
"Way to go, Princess!" Applejack said, congratulating her friend. Pinkie Pie floated in the air, defying gravity. "Best coronation day ever!" She declared.
"We love you, Twilight." Fluttershy said as the friends went into a group hug.
Twilight's heart filled with intense affection for her friends. "I love you too, girls!"
The emotion of the moment caused the girls to break out into song. Royal Guards marched, citizens cheered, and the whole of Canterlot shook with the happiness and joy of the Elements of Harmony. Likely the most inseparable group of friends in all the world's history.
After the singing had ended, the young Princess decided to give her new wings a test of their capability. Airborne, with Celestia's radiant sun at her back, Twilight mused to herself. "Yes! Everything's going to be just fine!
Looking back, the day had been a most monumental one. In the past several months, Twilight had reached the pinnacle of her greatest dreams, and beyond. She had met ponies who were now her dearest friends in all the world, learned untold amounts of wisdom, and encountered and defeated the mightiest evil and chaotic beings Equestria had ever known.
There was no end to the young Alicorn's joy and happiness that day as she flew, and flew, and flew. When she tired of the skies, Twilight returned to Canterlot palace, among her friends, her family. The six friends spent their time gathered in each others' company, reminiscing about the adventures of the past, and the adventures they still had before them.
But, not everything was well in the land, or the world. There was one opposing force, unbeknownst even to Twilight, that still remained unconquered by the Elements of Harmony. Something that lurked in plain sight, yet nopony hardly ever payed heed to it.
No awareness of it crept into the young alicorn's mind until it came time for her to learn it the hard way, from Celestia and Luna themselves.
One night, several days after Twilight's coronation, the true implications of her evolution into an alicorn were brought into the light at last by her aunts. They sat her down, and spoke with her quietly, alone and away from everypony else.
Princess Celestia, as the eldest, was the one to speak of it first. She took a long sigh before she began. "Twilight, now that you are an alicorn, there is something you have to understand, something critical to your status as not only a royal, but as one of the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria."
"Indeed, my sister does not mince words, what we have to say is absolutely paramount if you are to continue on being an alicorn."
Twilight looked from one to the other's faces in confusion. "What do you mean Celestia, Luna, what is this all about? Does it involve my friends in anyway?" She inquired worryingly.
Celestia gave her a forlorn look, which sent chills down the youngest alicorn's back. "I'm afraid it does. You see Twilight..." The eldest's ears flattened against her head. "We alicorns, unlike our subjects, are not subject to the rules of time. There is a reason Luna and I have existed for so long. We are immortals, and by extent Twilight, you are now immortal as well."
Twilight considered this for a moment. "So I will not age, I see, but, but then my friends..." That was when the haunting realization finally dawned on her. Her eyes widened, and her entire body began convulsing, trying desperately to hold back tears.
Seeing the youngest Princess' deteriorating emotional state, Luna spoke again. "I am sorry, Twilight. We had to tell you at some point, lest you realize it too late, and you be unprepared. Though it may not seem so right now, this is a mercy on your part."
Twilight did not look at either of them as she put her hooves over her head, and buried her face under her mane. She was now sobbing uncontrollably. The sight of it all broke the Regal Sisters' hearts, but they'd had no other choice. They could not allow a fellow Princess to live in a lie for years before she discovered the grim truth herself.
Celestia moved to comfort her. "Twilight..." She said, ever so softly. Before she could continue, Twilight broke out of her sob.
"NO!" She bellowed. Her eyes were red and puffy from the intense sobbing, and her mane was now ragged and tangled.
"No!" She declared again. Celestia and Luna looked to her in shock. "I don't want this then!" She flexed her wings for emphasis. "Change me back!" Twilight demanded.
Luna looked as if her anger was building. Her sister, however, only looked at her loyal student with a profane sadness. Celestia herself knew what it was like to outlive friends, pets, loved ones. It was the one universal curse that all Immortals must bare, if they are to continue in there state.
"I'm sorry Twilight, but the spell it took to transform you will take decades at least, before it will be weak enough for anypony, even us, to break and undo. I'm so, so sorry."
"Then why did you change me into this? An alicorn, if you knew this would happen and you couldn't reverse it?" Twilight's sorrow was quickly being replaced by denial and rage.
Princess Luna had heard enough. "TWILIGHT! If you would pause for a least a single moment, you would truly understand the generosity of the gift my sister has offered you! We know not of age or sickness. Think of all the knowledge you could gain in the infinite time we now grant you!"
This only infuriated Twilight more. "Generous? What is the point if I can't share it with my friends? What of when they start to show age? What will I say to them, when they finally realize I do not age with them? In the end, it would be just me and Spike, alone. How could we live with ourselves knowing those closest to us will always turn to dust before our very eyes!"
"Twilight, you would still have us..." Celestia began, but the youngest just would not hear her out.
"No! NO! I'll outlive my family, my friends...NO! If this is the cost of being a Princess..." She tore her royal clothing and jewelry off. She left only her crown, the Element of Magic, upon her head. "I don't want it! Not any bit of it!"
Shaking with rage, she rushed past them to the open window, the breeze of the night greeting her and leaving goose bumps under Twilight's fur. Luna tried to stop her, but Celestia held a hoof to her chest, shaking her head sadly. "What will you do then, Twilight?" Luna asked in outrage.
Twilight looked at the sisters with a mixed expression of sorrow, rage, and hurt. "I will go to my friends, and if I can't find a way to make myself mortal again, I'LL MAKE THEM IMMORTAL WITH MY MAGIC, ALL OF THEM!" She said the last part in the royal voice, of which she had just discovered she possessed.
"Twilight, you will only hurt yourself! Please, try to understand." Celestia said pleadingly. The student looked at her mentor grimly.
"I shall conquer death itself, if that's what it takes to stay with my friends. Goodbye Princess Celestia, farewell Luna. Please don't try to follow me. I don't want to have to fight you, but if that is what it takes to succeed, so be it." Twilight declared, her voice just above a whisper.
"Twilight.." Celestia murmured, her voice shook as her tears fell to the marble floor.
Twilight unfurled her wings, her mane now billowing like the that of Celestia and Luna's. With a single leap, she took off at top speed. Her mane and crown were the last they saw of the Princess, and then she was gone.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! STOP!" Luna's voice boomed across the palace as Twilight sped off, intent on making it back to Ponyville before anypony could track her path.
Twilight tried her best to keep her mind from running wild as she flew through the sky.She has left her old life behind. There was no going back now, and she needed to have a clear mind for the days and weeks ahead.
Im so sorry for this, but you two left me no other choice. If I have to break the rules of nature itself to save my friends, so be it. Many will think me selfish for this. But how would they not do the same, in my hooves? I don't care what I just left behind, the price is too great, I shall conquer death itself if it stands in between me and my friends. Goodbye, Princess Celestia.