//------------------------------// // Chapter 10, The Edge of Forever // Story: The Chronicles of Summer Rain // by shysage //------------------------------// Princess Twilight Sparkle TRIED to get up early anyway. She did try to go to bed earlier, and so did wake up a little earlier. So she really did get up earlier, well for this Princess anyway. Yesterday was a long day, dealing with a town reeling from a single ponies' absence. Princess Twilight was still amazed that one pony could have such a great impact on so many lives in such a short time, just by living out true friendship. "Summer Rain you are amazing, I hope you know that, wherever you are" Twilight thought to herself. The "True Friend like Summer Party" just yesterday afternoon and evening, had probably helped a lot, but the next few days and weeks would alone tell if the ponies of Ponyville really got the message. Princess Twilight didn't need to look at her checklist for the day, she planned to spend most of the day with Fluttershy. Summer asked Princess Twilight to take care of Fluttershy right before Summer jumped through the portal into the unknown, and Twilight would follow through. Even though, had Summer not asked this, Princess Twilight thought she probably would have anyway. Of all the ponies in Equestria, Fluttershy probably felt Summer's absence the most. Princess Twilight quickly brushed her mane and tail, and gobbled down a small breakfast. Spike was still asleep as she left and headed into Ponyville. Twilight could have probably flown to Fluttershy's cottage. But she didn't because she wanted to walk through town and 'get the feel' for how Ponyville might be doing. Twilight knew she would still need to deal with awkward bowing, but that was part of her new role, so it was just something to embrace, and Twilight did that. The first few ponies she met seemed to be doing ok. The Princess was about to town hall, when Summer's friend Dawn Flower walked quickly up to Princess Twilight with her foal Camille. She instructed Camille to bow, and then she did the same. "Good morning Dawn and Camille. How are you both doing?" Twilight said in as regal a manner as she could muster. Dawn got back up, and Camille followed. Dawn had clearly been crying. "Princess Twilight, Pinkie Pie said I could probably find you here." "Thank you Pinkie!" Twilight thought to herself. Dawn continued "Princess do you have any idea when Summer will be back?" Twilight didn't need to hear any more, Dawn was clearly hurting at the loss of a close friend. Thinking quickly, Twilight realized that the only pony who could help Dawn now would be... "Oh Dawn, there you are, I've been looking all over for you!" Rarity exclaimed as she walked up to them both. "Good morning Twilight" Rarity said to the Princess. Recognizing Dawn's condition, Rarity quickly put her leg around Dawn's neck and gave her a big hug. "Dawn, where are you headed?" Rarity asked. Still sniffling, Dawn said "I was going to the meadow to collect some flowers." "Dawn, would it be a problem if I came with you today?" Rarity asked. "That would actually be nice Rare" Dawn replied. Twilight noted that 'Rare' was Summer's nickname for Rarity, and Rarity loved it. "I have cancelled all my appointments today just so we can wander together in the field and pick some amazing flowers." Rarity said "Lets stop by the boutique and see if my sister can watch your kiddo, but it isn't a problem either way, she can come too." Dawn bowed slightly to Twilight and turned to go with Rarity. Rarity said "Bye Twilight" as the three of them walked off leaving Twilight behind. Rarity started talking, and until Twilight could no longer hear, it went like this. "Dawn, thank you so much for the Florals you did for me the other day, the customer loved the whole thing, your work is simply amazing. I would like you to help me with some others now, and I was thinking..." Princess Twilight smiled and thought "Good girl, Rare." Walking a little further past the Town Hall, Princess Twilight saw Snips off in the distance, carying a heavy load of boxes... for Granny Smith? "Thats an interesting change" Twilight thought to herself. Picking up her pace, Princess Twilight was soon heading up the hill towards Fluttershy's cottage. Fluttershy was already up and outside basking in the warm sunlight, and also surrounded by her beloved animals. Fluttershy got up quickly at Twilight's approach, but then calmly sat back down. Twilight walked over and simply sat down next to Fluttershy, and emjoyed a few minutes peace with her. Then Twilight asked quietly "Fluttershy, can I spend the day with you? "Sure Twilight" Fluttershy quickly responded. "I think a little company would be nice." "Well Fluttershy" Twilight began softly "I don't want my time here to be a burden, so don't feel like you need to entertain me or talk to me. I can also help with any chores, but you may have to tell me what to do, and don't hesitate to have me just watch. My goal is to simply enjoy your day with you, and not prevent you from enjoying it." "Thank you Twilight, that sounds wonderful" Fluttershy said. "And to be honest, Summer's help with the chores helped me a lot, and I wouldn't mind some help now. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything else though." "Today is yours Fluttershy" Twilight said, "Let's enjoy it together." Princess Twilight's day with Fluttershy was indeed awesome. They spent a lot of time just enjoying peace and quietness together. They watched Fluttershy's friends, the animals, play together in the sun. Twilight helped Fluttershy do some cleaning and tidying up inside the cottage, and they also cleared some brush away around it. Twilight's magic came in handy for that. Princess Twilight bought lunch for them both in town, and they had fun together doing that. They went for a walk in the woods behind the cottage in the afternoon which was delightful. They talked when it was good, and also enjoyed the calmness together. As the sun settled towards the trees, Fluttershy made them both a very tasty Tea and Biscuits meal, and they simply chatted over dinner. When dinner was done, Twilight looked out the window and frowned. Twilight then got up from the table and said "Will it be ok if I head back to the Library now, and will you be ok tonite? I can stay here if you think it will help." Fluttershy answered softly "Princess Twilight, I really enjoyed having you here today, thank you." And they hugged at this point. "I think I will be ok tonite. It's a big help knowing I have friends that care." Fluttershy said. "Thank you Twilight." They hugged again at the door, then Twilight walked down the hill from the Cottage. At the bottom of the hill, Twilight unexpectedly met Princess Luna. "The nights have been hard for your friend, but she will no doubt sleep better tonite. Thank you Twilight Sparkle." Luna said seriously. Twilight walked over and gave Luna a big hug too. "I am so glad we have such a caring Princess watching over the night" Twilight said. Twilight walked towards town, and then decided she did not want to walk the rest of the way to the Library. Princess Twilight took unsteadily to the air. She could barely see, but was soon flying towards the Library. Her landing wouldn't win any awards, but she didn't fall either. Twilight walked in the door of the Library. Spike was up, doing some cleaning. "You got a letter from Princess Celestia a little while ago" Spike mentioned. "Can you read it to me?" Twilight asked. "I thought you would never ask" Spike said with a grin. "Ahem" Spike began. "Dear Princess Twilight, I am sending an Air Coach to pick you up tomorrow morning to bring you to Canterlot. I have a minor issue I want to update you on personally. We can discuss anything else you wish as well. Faithfully yours, Princess Celestia" Twilight thought for a moment, then said "Ok, I'll be ready." Spike started laughing, and said "well I guess you should skip staying up reading half the night again!" "Well it won't be the first time" Twilight said with a sigh. "Maybe Princesses aren't supposed to sleep in." Spike smiled and said "Not this one anyway." A look of concern swept across Princess Twilight's face. "Oh Spike, things have been so hectic, and I really haven't been able to spend much time with you. I'm so sorry." "It's ok Twilight" Spike said. "When you have time just fly me for a ride like Summer does." "Well we can try that, but I'm not very good at even flying myself around yet" Princess Twilight said with a sigh. "Just wait until I'm bigger, I will be flying you around!" Spike bragged. "Well I hope I live that long" Twilight said jokingly. "Today with Fluttershy was amazing, but I need some sleep. This has been a tough few days." Twilight said. "Ya me too" Spike said. The lights in the Library were soon out. The last thing Princess Twilight remembered thinking before nodding off to sleep was "Summer, I hope you are doing ok." The next morning early (for Twilight anyway), the Air Coach arrived, and Twilight was soon in the Audience Hall with Princess Celestia. After hugging, and some cheerful banter, Princess Celestia started their meeting. "My main reason for bringing you here is to just update you on Sunset Shimmer. After her abrupt return, she was immediately arrested and quarantined. She is being watched and guarded carefully. "I have talked to her a few times, and it does seem she is repentent for her actions. However, the intention of bringing a foreign army into Equestria with the hope of taking it over is a very serious offense that we cannot simply ignore. "I am not sure what to do about her yet. If she remains cooperative, I may consider taking her back as a student, but that approach has serious concerns, and she will need to be watched carefully. "And for your information, the worst case scenario would be that you and your friends would need to wield the Elements of Harmony to defeat her again should things get out of hand. "Well thats what I know. Do you have any suggestions?" Princess Twilight thought a minute then added simply this. "Well I think there is no reason to rush this. Also, I would like her to be moved away from the Mirror Portal if possible." "I agree with your first comment, and your second one is a very good idea, I will have Shining Armor to see to that soon" Princess Celestia said with approval. "I just want to avoid having anything impede Summer's return when its time" Princess Twilight said quietly. "My feelings as well Twilight" Princess Celestia added. "Is there anything you need to tell me about Ponyville?" Princess Celestia asked. "Well, let me answer that on a few levels" Princess Twilight began. "Like I told the girls the day after Summer left, I learned that there is a big difference between calling yourself someone's friend, and actually acting like a friend and doing what you can to meet each other's needs. Summer Rain's example was amazing in this regard, and I think our entire group learned from this. "As far as the townsponies are concerned, I am seeing signs that some at least have taken true friendship to heart, and that is encouraging. Nopony is forcing this on anypony else, and I know that this can't be and shouldn't be coerced, but I am seeing evidence that some may be adopting this approach, at least for the time being. "I guess time will really tell how far it goes." "Good observations" Princess Celestia said approvingly. Their official business done, Princess Celestia said "How about some lunch?" "That would be wonderful" Princess Twilight said with a smile. Before long they were sitting down to a leisurely meal together at their favorite place. They had a secluded table set aside for Princesses, and they were never bothered. Of course the 8 guards posted nearby helped with that too. They talked about a lot of things that afternoon. Learning how to be a Princess was not an overnight thing for Twilight Sparkle. However, Princess Celestia assured Twilight that she was doing very well, far beyond anypony's expectations. At one point, Twilight looked off into the distance, deep in thought. "I hope Summer Rain comes back soon" Twilight said with a sigh. At this, Princess Celestia sighed as well. "As am I. My initial concern with this whole thing was the importance of your five friends in that parallel world. "But like you and many other ponies, I am concerned for Summer Rain's safety. We really don't know much about the hazards of that place." There was silence for a few minutes. "Why do we even have that mirror" Princess Twilight queried. "It seems like it brings far more problems than it solves. I would rather die than abandon Summer there, but when she returns, can't we destroy it? Or maybe just disable it?" At this question, Princess Celestia frowned, looked down, lost in thought. After a brief pause, she answered "I don't think that is for either of us to decide. She paused again then said "I guess it is time you learned this. And by the way, you are sworn to secrecy on this information, even should your life be at stake. Do you agree to this?" Princess Twilight was stunned. However she remembered that there may be 'hidden costs' associated with being a Princess, so she really had no choice. Twilight wanted it to be like this. She put her head down and said quietly "I do agree." Princess Celestia called the nearest guard over, and spoke to him briefly. The guards that were present then moved out and adopted a much wider perimeter, and none of them were even close to being within hearing distance of the two princesses. But then, nopony else was either. Princess Celestia looked out over the horizon and began. "That mirror was fashioned eons ago, using pony magic that nopony can even remember. It was fashioned as a Portal, a stable link between two worlds; our own, and another parallel world you experienced briefly. "What little we have experienced with the beings in the parallel world suggests that over those eons, they have advanced rapidly. And nopony who has ever been there has stayed for very long. "Sunset Shimmer was one exception, but she only stayed there long enough to lure you there with the hope of obtaining your crown. She didn't realize that your power lay not just in your crown, but in your relationships with your friends, and their character. Once this became clear, she returned to Equestria as well, and has shown absolutely no desire to go back. "Summer Rain will be the other exception, and we can only hope she is faring well. And the importance of her task may be greater than we know. Only time will tell how all that works out." Princess Twilight thought about this for some time then repeated "Well still, can we not disable, or destroy it, so that we can forever sever the link between our worlds?" Princess Celestia sighed again, and said "Dear child... Anypony who goes through the Portal to that world, and returns to this world..." Princess Celestia paused here before completing the sentence. "...stops aging." Princess Twilight was aghast, and her thoughts were confused as she tried to make sense out of this. After what seemed like forever, Twilight said "So you..." Princess Celestia completed the thought. "Yes, I have passed through the Portal, but was there only briefly. Princess Luna was there as well, and her stay was also very brief. However, our extended lives can attest to the work of the Portal. "This was evidently the intent of Ponies from long ago who built the Portal. They were searching for a way to enhance the life-span of good leaders. "However, as you can probably figure out, were this knowledge to fall into the wrong hands, Equestria could be, well... could suffer a thousand terrible fates at the hands of an evil soul that never died. This is why you must accept death yourself rather than divulge this information. Hopefully you will never have to face this." This was all so much for this new Princess to take in, but she tried. She remained deeply in thought for a while. Then she looked up at Princess Celestia and started "Then... I..." "Yes child. You have passed through the Portal and returned. You will no longer age." "But my friends..." Twilight quickly replied in both pain, and maybe a touch of anger. Princess Celestia moved closer to Twilight, put her front leg around Twilight's neck and hugged her. "Yes, you will probably easily outlive your friends. However, I am not sure about that yet. If their Elements of Harmony cannot be passed on to other worthy ponies, bringing your friends through the Portal may be required in order to support the magic they each contribute. "And I need to underscore again, these concerns all focus on protecting Equestria, our world and the many ponies in it." "Another cost..." Princess Twilight thought to herself. "So be it." Twilight realized that she would probably have a long time to think this through. Twilight was back to being a princess, and Princess Celestia returned to her spot at the table. Twilight had more questions. "Princess Cadence has been through and back correct?" With a smile, Princess Celestia said "Well, not yet. I suspect she will, and maybe your brother too, but I think there may be a danger having too many leaders. Besides, we don't know if there are any limits on the power of the Portal, and it has been used quite a bit of late." "Well, what about Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight asked frowning. Princess Celestia scowled and said "That is a serious problem. "As I said, she is currently under heavy guard, and may end up back under my teaching, but she does not know that she will no longer age. Worse yet, I have serious doubts about the purity of her heart and the selflessness of her motives. I also do not know how extensive her natural magical ability is yet. "This is not a problem for today, but as I said, we may have to face her at some point in the future and defeat her magic again. And she absolutely must not learn that she is not aging. "All of this is another reason why preserving the Magic of Friendship wielded by you and your friends is such a great priority. We may need it at its fullest sooner than we think." Well this all was making more sense to Princess Twilight. Being a Princess involved a lot of responsibilities, and Twilight thought to herself that she was really getting into "the thick of it" now. But this was fine. "And to think I was freaked out about going back to Magic Kindergarten" she thought to herself. Princess Celestia interrupted her thoughts and began "Princess Twilight, I want you to know that I am thankful more than anyone will know that you are here, and that you will share keeping Equestria safe with my sister and I. We love you so very much." At this point, Princess Twilight ran and threw her front legs around Celestia's neck, and hugged her teacher for the longest time. There were tears in both their eyes. After a little while, Twilight returned to her spot at the table. After a brief pause, Princess Twilight spoke softly and lovingly "What about Summer Rain?" Princess Celestia again smiled. "Summer Rain wasn't even a speck on the telescope five moons ago. I am amazed at the tremendous good she has accomplished in the short time she was in Ponyville. And she doesn't use magic, just Friendship's Magic, the true essence of being a friend. "I am hoping she comes back, and at least gives us some news, but I suspect that Fluttershy's sister will spread true friendship wherever she goes. But yes, when she returns, she will likewise no longer age. I suspect it will be a delight to spend a long time with someone like her however. And theres probably no rush in telling her this, so we need not worry about that now." Princess Celestia looked at the sun sinking towards the horizon and said "I must be going soon." "One last question if I may?" Twilight said. "How will I die then?" Princess Celestia chuckled and said "You are my best student!" She quickly switched to a more somber tone and said simply "in battle. Since we don't age, the only way for us to die is either by some freak, tragic accident, or, as is more often the case, we die fighting against evil. And for the record, I honestly thought that time came for me when Chrysalis defeated my magic. We are not invincable, we just don't age. And sometimes evil is very strong. "For my sister and I, the presence of you and your friends, and the great magical power that you wield, this is a welcome sight and a great comfort. So don't worry about this too much." Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight walked together back to the castle. An Air Coach ride back to Ponyville was quickly arranged, and Twilight was soon heading through the front door of the Library. Spike was asleep in his bed taking an all too common extended nap. Twilight remembered that dragons are supposed to live a thousand years. "I may yet be able to see you grow up" she said to herself with a smile. "And I'll take that ride thank you!"