Letters to the Sun

by Horizon Runner

Magic

Dear Princess Celestia,

You'll no doubt be terribly amused to learn that many of my old habits have remained intact over the course of these two centuries. In undertaking this strange little project, I never really considered what form my letters would finally take. Structuring them around my closest friends and their Elements came naturally, and a strange sort of narrative even started to form, but I never truly considered that the final letter would be mine.

I imagine you would laugh such things away, but when it finally came time to compose this letter I drove myself into something of a panic. I wrote draft after draft, perfecting each paragraph before erasing it all and starting anew. In the end, I found myself drifting away from this strange little project.

For how do I talk about myself? In one draft, I spoke of my mistakes. In the second, I spoke of the wonders my rule wrought upon the world. Many more followed, all torn up or tossed in my fireplace now. It seemed to me that I simply couldn't get it right. This is to be the capstone of my conceit, my last missive to the mare who raised me practically as her own daughter, who taught me in the ways of magic and led me to my calling, to a life full of friendships and beauty the likes of which I could only have dreamt of had we never crossed paths.

Everything I am, I owe to you.

So I worried over it, as I've worried over many things in my life. I worried for months and months, simultaneously dealing with all the sundry duties and crises inherent to my station. The fact that this missive might never reach you crossed my mind many times, and at times I even thought "That's it, then. Five letters. That's enough."

But, if there's one thing I abhor, it's an unfinished project.

Last night, I spoke to a friend of mine, a mare whose path in life could not be more different than mine. You might have met her, I think, and although I'm certain you knew her name I doubt you thought much more of her than a particularly skilled cellist. I could go on and on about her, about the strange, tragic story which enveloped her in the wake of your passing or the two centuries of time which have encroached upon her since—mitigated by medicine and magic, yes, but etched so very deep in the rings around her tired old eyes. But her story is her own, and, in fact, she asked me not to include it here. While I'm not sure I agree particularly with her reasons, I respect her more than enough to honor such a request.

Last night, this mare visited me to say goodbye—for she and several of her friends are going traveling, out to the colonies and possibly beyond. In the somber setting of my reading room I revealed my project to her, and my difficulty with this final letter, and she gave me a beautifully simple observation:

"You're stuck on the bloody thing because you can't bear to let her go.

And you know what? She was right. As long as this letter lay unfinished, you were never truly gone. Six elements. Six friends. Sixes, all the way down, but as long as there were only five, with the ending forever out of reach, then it wasn't over. I could look at my writing desk, and think of you, and for a moment you weren't gone.

But you are, aren't you? You're gone, and you will never be again. There can be nopony like you ever again. Nor like your sister. Nor like Cadence, or my brother. Nor like myself, nor like my friends, when we give up our elements at last and pass into the last good night.

Endings must come, one way or another. I decided, after my friend left, that I had to finish this letter today, or else say to myself "that's it, that's the end," and never write it at all. There are some projects for which the latter choice is acceptable. I have chosen that path before, when constraints time or effort or basic reason forbid me continue. But, for this project, for one final letter?

I can do better than to leave this unfinished.

Ah, but what to say? As you've no doubt gathered from my letters, these are terrifically exciting times. Every day it seems a new discovery is changing how we understand the world, a new invention providing a better life for all the united peoples in this galaxy. Alongside, there is always a crisis to solve, a battle to wage, just like the old days when Discord turned the clouds to cotton candy. While there are some days that seem to drag on and on (you won't be surprised to find that many of them involve meetings and debates, I'm sure) there are just as many where it seems that each blinked-away moment is a treasure lost to time. It has not been like this always, of course—we had some incredibly boring years a century back or so, and I'm sure we'll have them again—but of late things have been moving so fast that I suspect even Rainbow would have trouble keeping up!

But of myself? I am Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Twilight Velvet and Night Light, now passed, brother of Shining Armor, retired captain of the Canterlot Guard, sister-in-law of Princess Cadance, Alicorn of Love. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Alicorn of Friendship, presiding over the Sun and Moon of Epona after the passing of Princesses Celestia and Luna. President Twilight Sparkle of the Alliance of Eponan Peoples. Representative Twilight Sparkle, senior member the of the High Council presiding over the Federation of Allied Empires, located in the Orion Spiral Arm of this great galaxy. I have no single story, for I have touched so many. I cannot summarize myself, for I have experienced centuries in perfect clarity.

I suspect it's a feeling with which you'd be familiar.

I have watched a nation grow, bond with its neighbors, and ascend to the stars. I guided my people to other worlds and watched them sow the seeds of an incredible and unimaginable future. I have seen golden ages come and go, marched the streets with protesters, traveled to war zones and forced both sides to their knees through nothing more than my own magical might, wept as I held my newborn niece in my hooves, smiled as I held her son, climbed to the tops of mountains, walked the deepest reaches of the sea, read more books than I can count, fretted over a million consequences for my mistakes, marveled at the world into which I was so very lucky to be born, cursed that world for its unfairness and cruelty, and laughed at both over tall drinks with my friends.

I am the Element of Friendship. I am two hundred and forty-seven years old, and I know that I have seen only the tiniest fraction of the living, breathing world. I have all these titles, all these deeds, and all this power, and I still am very small.

And that's okay, because it's that very smallness that lets me love this great big ridiculous world. The knowledge that the sky I see above me is just a mote of dust to the rest of the universe excites me beyond words.

For as long as there is more to see, I don't think I'll ever grow tired of this life. Someday I will have to give up my Element and pass slowly out of the mortal frame, but not soon. There are worlds yet to discover, unpenned books yet to read, and I want to be there for each one.

In my first letter, I treated the Elements as a curse. That was not fair.

They are not a curse. They are a burden, a responsibility, a job, a duty, a role. But they are also an opportunity to shape the world in incredible ways, and to learn and see and love so very much of this great universe.

So thank you, Princess Celestia. Thank you for seeing something in a little filly from Canterlot and granting her this life she lives.

I love you, and I miss you every day, but the world spins madly on.

As I gallop on into the future, I hope I make you proud.

~Princess Twilight Sparkle

Author's Note:

I'm sorry this took so long, and that it's so short. I've had a long couple years with a lot on my mind.

I've fought with how to write this chapter for a long time. Should I continue on, try and top Pinkie's story with something even grander? Should it signal new adventures ahead, new stories I could work into alternate fic?

In the end, I'm not sure if I made the strictly right decision.

But it's finished, and that's more than I can say for much of my writing.

I can't promise you'll see me here again. If you'd like to keep track of me in the future, I do exist on Archive Of Our Own as WhatOtherPlanet. I don't write horsewords anymore, and my posting there is less frequent than it was even here, but I'm still around.

I'm still figuring a lot of things out, especially in regards to writing. Just going back through this fic to write the end, I find that I may have lost a lot of my ability somewhere along the line. If not in skill, then in productivity. It's disturbing to say the least, but it's something I hope I can work through, given time and effort.

I can't promise I'll come back here. In all likelihood, OLH and Postclassical will remain on hiatus forever.

But this, at least, I can finish.

Comments

[PiMan]

It half the chapter intended to be in italic?
Other than that, I think this was a good way to finish it.

[cunning_linguist]

A gorgeous story. Honestly I think a sequel would spoil some of its impact but I'd be excited for it any way.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but at no point was Spike mentioned. You threw in brief mentions of Sweetie Belle and even (I think) Octavia... but not Twilight's number one assistant?

[BenRG]

In my first letter, I treated the Elements as a curse. That was not fair.

They are not a curse. They are a burden, a responsibility, a job, a duty, a role. But they are also an opportunity to shape the world in incredible ways, and to learn and see and love so very much of this great universe.

I think that this quote does a very good job of summarising this sometimes-hurried and sometimes thought-provoking thought-experiment (it works better as a massive summary of a future AU than a true narrative). I enjoyed the broad brush-strokes of who the Element Bearers and those they had known and loved might become and feel the time taken to read this story well-spent.

[Sacred Blade]

Bravo! I hadn't seen this fic until the last chapter was posted under New Updates -- wonderful read!

[Geminii]

Thank you for finishing the story. And the external timeframe before publication of the final chapter is wonderfully paralleled in Twilight's own hesitation.

[Horizon Runner]

7878571 That is entirely because the last chapter was supposed to have a piece about Spike which got left out in the last revisions. It's an error (as is half the letter being in italics) but it's not one I'm going to fix now (I'm probably gonna fix the italics.) I'm more or less done with MLP, so the odds of me going back and re-writing the letters enough to include Spike are essentially nil at the moment.

An author's word, though:

Spike is currently off being the King of the Dragons. He's a good king, but he and Twilight have grown apart over the years. They speak often in formal settings, but rarely have the time for chatting. They do come together to reminisce on Spike's birthday, though. He's about the size of an 18 wheeler truck and he's married with six kids, all of whom are grown.

[Celefin]

A fitting end to a long journey. *nods*
And yes, the long delay fits. This might just be the only story where a delay of several years makes the last chapter better, feel more conclusive. All the best to you, wherever you're heading.

[GreyNoise]

I wonder, was there a touch of autobiography, there in the middle few paragraphs?

Regardless, thank you for one last hurrah. May the paths you walk bring you your horizon.

[Magichorn]

Why is it always Twilight telling these amazing stories about others and how amazing and important they are, For once i wish i could read how the others view Twilight in return.
Good read though

[Zuabug]

It seems... quite fitting. Twilight did seem to be, and apparently stay, quite a humble mare. Even though everyone else might not be too thrilled with her about it.

[Greatazuredragon]

Excellent work, from start to finish I deeply enjoyed this, truly well done.

As I gallop on into the future, I hope I make you proud.
~Princess Twilight Sparkle

[GMBlackjack]

Back when I first joined the fandom, a couple years ago, I started eating up all the science fiction fanfics I could find. When I finally made my fimfiction account and had to decide which of the fics to put in my favorites folder, this was one of the FIVE I remembered with enough passion to put in there. Even though it was incomplete, it was amazing nonetheless, and one of the stories that captured my imagination the most.

The only reason I realized it was completed was I just recommended it to someone, and had to find the link to give to them. The little green 'complete' box filled me with chills and excitement. You did not disappoint. This, this is an amazing piece of work, one of the most interesting I've seen. I'm glad you finally managed to complete this.

-GM, master of masterpieces.

[Blaster M]

Interesting read. Good job.

[mishun]

brother of Shining Armor, retired captain of the Canterlot Guard

Sister.

I kinda feel conflicted now. On the one hand, it is really sweet story especially with that ending depicting nice future that's something to aspire to, on the other

How did she convince them to leave us alone and release the crew of that freighter unharmed? I don’t know.

How did she then convince them to strengthen their alliance with us, twelve years later? I have no idea.

yeah, that's basically summarises it: all interesting things they did they did through their abstract raw opaque awesomeness. Although at this point I should ask myself what did I expect from story?

[Undeadking243]

8061692
Now the Merodi will find it and will likely add them into their folds.

[GMBlackjack]

This fic has been featured in the League of Sweetie Belles!

-GM, master of space.

[AppleTank]

Seems i waited just long enough.

[keybounce]

I come here from GM's story and recommendation.

And ...

I must say. This story is missing the "tear-jerker" tag. I was crying more from reading this than from the closing of the book at the end of season 9.

I loved this story. Well done.

And yes, I also want to know all the references of the various races.

I'm sorry to see you move on from MLP stuff. I think you'd enjoy much of seasons 7-9 if you watched. I'm sorry that you stopped with season 5's ending.

[Zubric]

The author notes make me feel conflicted. Consisting all I have ever wrote are horse stories.

[Mystic Sunrise]

Ah yes. The days when authors thought they had it all figured out about what direction the show was going (some still do, to be fair). And then Hasbro ruined it all by going another direction entirely.

Especially with showing that griffons weren't nearly as competent as the fandom thought. With only a few showing anything like a species that could build an empire or kingdom of any kind.

This story has most beat in that it is an AU, and not failing to try and still be canon.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10662541
Nope. This is a reference to how Orks work in Warhammer 40k (look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about). Maybe not deliberately. But there it is.