Alicorns lived ten-thousand years on average. Twilight hadn't understood this when she'd become one. She knew it, but she didn't understand what it really meant. Now she did. This is what Twilight Sparkle reflected on as she walked through the ancient, crumbling cemetery. She knelt at one of the grave markers.
Pinkamena Diane Pie.
The first of her friends to die was Pinkie Pie. How could it not be her? She spread love and joy to all her friends, but at the cost of her own health. It was diabetes that finally killed her. When she heard she had diabetes she lost her will to live. She hated being sick, hated the restrictions. So she did what she always did. She threw a party. Not just any party though. The biggest party Ponyville had ever seen. Pinkie's house had been covered in balloons, there was candy and cake and spiked cider and dancing. She'd invited the best, most expensive bands and partied for three days straight. Rainbow Dash found her in the corner of the room, too far gone to be saved. She'd held the party pony's hoof in hers while the life left her eyes.
"Dashie…I love you." Those were her last words.
"I love you too." Dash told her, plating a kiss on her forehead.
"She died doing what she loved." Dash said.
Dash, too, had died doing what she loved. It had been sixty years to the day since Pinkie had died. The coincidence always sent a chill down Twilight's spine. Rainbow Dash had inspired Pinkie Pie to become a party planner and died on the same day she did though decades apart. On the day Rainbow Dash died she and her friendly rival Applejack had gone racing when finallythat great and loyal heart gave out and she had fallen in the dirt. She'd been eighty-three, a retired Wonderbolt and a coach for young fliers.
After that it'd just been Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity. They met every day, come hell or highwater, divorce or famine, every success and every failure, to have cider and talk about their day or old times. How they'd gone up against not one, but two mad gods (and how was Discord these days?), how they'd saved an empire, stood together against an invasion. That kind of bond never broke. Twilight never did leave Ponyville though every weekend Twilight would return to Canterlot. She and Celestia would walk in the garden together, Twilight pressed against her flank like a foal against her mother. Celestia had no more lessons to teach her, but they would talk for hours or sit in the cool grass in comfortable silence only needing each other.
Twilight could never recall how they'd transitioned from mentor and student to friends to lovers. Only that they had and Twilight never regretted it.
Then it was Applejack's turn to fall. Died in her sleep.
Rarity's granddaughter found her slumped over her sowing.
Fluttershy was the last one to go. Twilight went to visit her one morning and received no answer when she knocked on the door. She used magic to come in. Fluttershy was dead in her bed.
After Fluttershy's funeral Celestia had come up to her and simply asked, "Do you hate me?"
Through the cloud of grief Twilight was able to ask why Celestia would think that.
"Because I turned you into an Alicorn. Helped you become one knowing you'd outlive your friends. I'm sorry." Celestia said, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry. I can reverse it if…"
"No. No, Tia. Don't think I hate you." Twilight said. "I don't." She nestled into her. Celestia nuzzled her.
"I was selfish." Celestia admitted. "I couldn't bear to lose you. I've had so many students, so many lovers, so many friends. I lost them all. I couldn't bear to lose you too."
"I understand. I couldn't bear to lose you either." Twilight said.
Two-thousand years, fifteen months, three days, five minutes and ten seconds. That's how long she had with her. Two-thousand years for Twilight of waking up snuggled in the wings of Celestia, her teacher, lover, guide and oldest friend. Two-thousand years of becoming a second sister in every way but blood to Luna. Two-thousand years of sitting around the table with the royal sisters talking, laughing. Two-thousand summers of racing together through green forests, two-thousand winters of snuggling by the fire with the sun princess.
An alicorn lives ten-thousand years. One morning Twilight woke up and Celestia wasn't moving.
Luna had to raise the sun while the guards arranged a ceremony to honor the deceased princess. For one-thousand years Twilight raised the sun and when Luna too died she raised the moon.
The day she picked a successor was the first time she'd smiled in a millennium. The hour after she was chanting the words that reversed her transformation.
Death wasn't painful. It was just a sensation of falling then blackness.
…
Twilight opened her eyes. She was standing in a grassy meadow. She looked around. She'd never seen a bluer sky nor witnessed greener grass. She felt young, younger than she had in three millennia. Life raced through her and she wanted to gallop so she did, galloping through the field like she was a filly again. She became aware of someone right behind her, then right beside her.
"Well, well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle! How long has it been?"
Twilight stopped. It was Rainbow Dash, just as she'd been three-thousand years before. Her wings were spread out and she was grinning.
"Rainbow Dash!" She hugged her lost friend tight. "I missed you!"
Rainbow Dash smiled and hugged her back. "C'mon, no mushy stuff Twilight."
"It's been so long." Twilight said. "Is…is everypony else here?"
"It's a big place." Dash replied. "There's lots of ponies here. I saw Fluttershy the other day. And even that Starsscroll guy you're always talking about."
"Oh my god! Twilight!" Suddenly a blur of pink glomped her and she rolled onto the grass.
"Oh my god! You're here, you're here! How have you been, what have you been doing, did you know Applejack and Rarity and Dashie-she's right there-and Fluttershy are here too? Even Celestia and Luna! I've missed you so much, let's throw a party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with barely a breath between words. Twilight held her tight.
"I've missed you to." Twilight said, hugging her. Of course if Rainbow Dash were here Pinkie Pie couldn't be far behind.
Rainbow Dash joined the group hug. "You're right, Pinkie. We should have a party. Lets' go get the others."
Twilight and Pinkie Pie got up.
"I'll race you two!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with glee as they took off after her into an eternally green forest.