The Only Chapter

“Has it really been that long?” Twilight Sparkle said to herself. Indeed, time has flown fast: maybe a little too fast for the alicorn to realize.

But she does. She does realize. Her diary—albeit receiving weekly entries instead of the usual dailies—can attest to that, even in Court! Today is Week 26000. She wrote it a few seconds ago. It felt like Week 1 was just a few moments ago.

“I can’t believe I actually survived all this... writing,” she said, again to herself. “I wish they were all here to see this. They would’ve been proud of such an achievement.”

Twilight sighs as she confers to her diary her activities, her thought, her emotions for the previous week: everything that crosses her mind at that time will find itself materialized in ink on a parchment made of tree pulp (courtesy of the Equestrian National Press). The quill, grasped firmly by her centuries-old magic, moves like a leaf through air: effortless and smooth. The diary is a simple item. It is hard-covered, because that’s how Twilight loves it. But inside, it is much more complex than the researchers’ drawing board at the Equestrian Institute of Science. Such complexity is only made for one mind.

Twilight Sparkle’s mind.

“I’m not going to lie to you, diary. Last week was particularly hard for me. Ponyville has suffered from sour relations, friends are starting to fight with each other, the friendship rating is falling below 30%...” Twilight rambled. “Ooohh... Please, help me diary, I don’t have anyone else to look up to. Please?” she pleaded, but the diary remains silent. It has wisdom in its pages, but no mind to process it.

“I wish they were all here, diary. It’s been far too long since we last saw each other. Spike has been gone since a century ago, and oh— Celestia knows when he’ll wake up from Deep Slumber!” she continued. “They all left with their families, and since then, they hadn’t visited. I only knew they passed away three centuries ago! It was nice of each of them to send me a last letter... but I... I never had a chance to reply!” the princess cried as she breaks into tears.

When she was crowned the Princess of Friendship, Twilight was excited to finally have a role in life. Her first few years were quite challenging as she gets used to being a full-fledged princess. But time went on, and each one of them—excluding Twilight, for fear of heartbreak—got married and started a family. They had many foals. However, ambitions soon became more important than governance, and one by one they all left Ponyville.

Fluttershy was first, saying that she would like to take her family somewhere more ‘natural’, blaming the rapid industrialization happening around town. Now, her former cottage and the area surrounding it has become a local park, in honor of the mare that used to nurture those lands.

Rarity was next, favoring Manehattan’s high society. Carousel Boutique eventually gave way to a new business locale, much to Twilight’s chagrin. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both left at the same time: each one returning to their homeland (although homecloud would be more appropriate for Rainbow). Pinkie Pie was hesitant to leave, but she eventually did after Sugarcube Corner became too crowded with colts and fillies.

Only Spike remained, but even he had to go, too. Now only Twilight stands, looking like a princess; in reality, she is a shell of her former glory.

“I’m going to go to bed, diary. I know that I’m all alone now, and that I’ll never see my friends again, but I still haven’t lost hope. I’m a princess. I won’t give up. I won’t...” she said with a soft, determined voice. “Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,” she uttered, ending the dictation spell on the quill. Twilight carefully dropped it into the ink bottle at the top right corner of the table. It sat there securely. The diary is closed, the candle by the desk is extinguished, and the purple mare climbs into her bed, burying herself in the warm security of the duvets.

At least they are still a friend to her.

The morning came with a sound of melodious birds at the windowsills of the chamber. A songstress—or so it’s called—whistles a fine tune akin to that of a wind flute. It doesn’t sound like chirping: it sounds like an orchestra. Simply peaceful.

Twilight awakes from her slumber, her eyes slowly opening to admire the sunrise as a new day begins to rise with her. She catches the sound of the songstress and softly attunes her ears to catch the music. Over the course of one night, she is feeling better already.

The songstress reminded her of Fluttershy and her cottage. Although the shy, yellow mare was indeed in perfect opposition with her pegasi nature, she still took care of the creatures of the air, nevertheless. Why, she used to conduct birds like these to sing! For the Summer Sun Celebration, for Shining Armor’s wedding.

“I think I’m going to go for a walk today. Enough with all this work for a while.” Twilight said. She makes her way to the bathroom to get herself cleaned. After a long, quiet bath, she steps out of the bathroom with a gorgeously colored coat. She then styles her mane properly, combing it so that her forehead becomes covered in a bang and her neck half-wrapped by the rest of it. Just how she likes it.

Just how Rarity likes it.

She admits that being with the fashionista made her care about her looks more than ever before. She is glad that some of her good old habits still stuck with her. Not a single day has passed without Twilight styling her mane properly.

Feeling pleased with herself, she makes her way outside her castle. Overhead, weather patrol pegasi are doing their morning routine of clearing the sky. The forecast—ironically—calls for no clouds in the early morning, and lightly cloudy come midday. The rest of the afternoon shall see more clouds and maybe even rain during the early hours of tomorrow morning. Strange. The happy lavender mare looked up gleefully to them, admiring their dedication to their work. She swears that she could see a hint of rainbow as they zoomed into the horizon.

Continuing her stroll, her stomach rumbles. Twilight tried to hide the her red cheeks from some townsponies, but fails. Those who noticed couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of a hungry princess. My oh my, what a shame. She decides that it would be best to get some breakfast at the only place that makes good treats: Sugarcube Corner.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Cake. How are you both today?” Twilight greeted in a filly-like fashion. “Princess Twilight!” the Cakes gasped, startled by the sudden and unexpected arrival of their princess at their shop. “Oh, no need for formalities, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I’m as much a citizen as you both are. And could you please not bow down the next time I come in here? It’s kind of weird,” Twilight chided. She is already feeling estranged in a place so familiar to her after five centuries. “S-Sure thing, Pr-Twilight. It’s just that we-” Mr. Cake said, Twilight cutting him in his speech. “Yes, I know, you both wanted to show your respect for me. But I think that keeping this place up and running is more than enough to prove it.”

“Thank you, your High- I mean, thank you Twilight,” he said as he tries to refrain from addressing his princess formally. One may think that Mr. and Mrs. Cake are the Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake from so long ago. But they aren’t. These Mr. and Mrs. Cake are the great great great (who knows how many great there is) grandchildren of Carrot and Cup Cake. The confectionary and viennoiserie business of Ponyville is truly a heritage: not a single moment has it fallen into the hands of another pony. It is the Cake’s proud legacy.

“What would you like to order,” Mrs. Cake asked her client, pausing, “chère Madame?”

“Pourrais-je avoir un pain au raisin, s’il vous plaît?” Twilight replied. “Bien sûr. Un moment, s’il vous plaît. Installez-vous,” Mrs. Cake responded. She is married to a pony hailing from Prance: hence the proficiency in the language. Twilight always loved to go there. She had once been sent as a delegation representing Equestria during one of the Peace Summit. One of the things she enjoyed was the sweet pastry they made. Twilight sits down at a nearby table.

She looks outside the window. Carriages full of apples are being sent to various parts of Equestria. They look very plump and delicious, even from afar. Sweet Apple Acres was never transformed, even after Applejack left. Big Mac didn’t follow in her hoofsteps and stayed with Applebloom in order to tend to the trees. But without Applejack, things aren’t the same, and after 5 years, they sold it to the local farmers. Since then, the land has been one of the main sources of food in the whole of Equestria, growing in size by ten fold in the 20 years after the Apples sold them. The apple orchards now share their land with the carrots, turnips and whatnot.

No one knows, however, where Big Mac and Applebloom went, though.

Twilight fights back tears which are trying hard to fall out of her eyes. She closes them and thinks about beautiful times. The apple orchard is home to many memories she and her friends share together. After feeling confident that her eyes are clear of those fluid, she opens them. The sight that comes next is, to say the least, surprising.

“Miss, are you... you know... cr-” a peach-colored pegasus is standing nose-to-nose with her.

“No! I-I wasn’t! I forgot to close my eye, and I’ve been staring too long!”

“Oh... Okay! I brought you your order,” the jubilant pegasus waitress said, cheerfully placing Twilight’s pain au raisin on the table. “Would you like to have some tea with it? I know you like tea,” she added.

“Wait, how do you know that?” Twilight asked, confused as to how the young mare got the guess spot-on.

“Well I sorta have this hunch and when I look at my mane and tail they start twitching and then when I look back at you I knew that there was something off so then I looked back at the fifth hair on my-”

“Peach Cobbler, are you interrupting our guests again?” Mrs. Cake called from behind the counter.

“Oh, not at all Mrs. Cake! I was just explaining to Princess Twilight here how-”

“Now, now. Leave our guests alone. Come, there’s a lot of work to do in the kitchen.”

“Okay, Mrs. Cake” the young mare sighed in defeat. “Sorry for interrupting your breakfast.”

“That’s okay, Peach Cobbler,” Twilight said, trying to cheer the waitress up. “Can I ask you: how did you know my name?” Twilight questioned, a feeling of curiosity engulfing her entirely, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Well, I guess I just know it. I mean, you are the Princess of Friendship. Everypony should know about you,” she replied, an omnipresent excitement present in her voice.

“I guess. See you around, Peach Cobbler.”

“You betcha!”

The peach-colored mare trots over to the back of the counter, entering the kitchen. The way she does so was familiar, taking great strides and hopping up and down joyfully. While she eats, Twilight feels the need to talk to her. There is a mystery to be solved about that mare. Finishing off her breakfast, she walks to the counter. “Excuse me Mr. Cake, but I don’t recall seeing Peach Cobbler before in Ponyville. Is she new in town?”

“Her? Yes, she just came here two days ago from Los Pegasus. Don’t ask me why she did. I mean, she’s better off staying there than coming here,” Mr. Cake said, “and she’s a pegasus, for Celestia’s sake! She should be out there in the skies!”

Twilight is riddled with more questions. She has to talk to this mare. Seeing that it’s too early to interrupt her working routine for a chat, she thinks of another way. Then, all of a sudden, something clicks inside her head. Something she remembers from a long time ago.

“Mr. Cake, can I talk to her for a second?” Twilight asked.

“Sure, I’ll get her,” he replied. It wasn’t two seconds, when the yellow-red mare steps out of the kitchen door. “You... wanted to speak to me?” she said with a shaky voice. She has opted for the worst case scenario: her pain au raisin wasn’t good enough for the shop! She had suggested some modification to the recipe yesterday and now the princess doesn’t like it!

“I was wondering if you would like to come to the party over at the castle this evening. I mean, you are a new pony in town, and we never let that pass without a ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Newcomer!’ party.”

“Oooh, that sounds great! You can count on me being there! I love parties!”

“Alright, Peach Cobbler,” Twilight said, chuckling, “I look forward to seeing you there.”

After exiting the store, Twilight heads towards the carriage of apples across Sugarcube Corner. Somehow it intrigues her to no ends. She hasn’t had one since... she couldn’t remember when. But it must’ve been for a long, long time because she forgot how they tasted. She wants one so badly. She decides to ask the dispatch for one. She goes around to the front side of the carriage to find a young light-green unicorn mare strapping it to a harness she’s wearing on her back: much like a mini green Big Mac with horns. She looks all set and ready to leave. But Twilight decides to stop her anyway.

“Excuse me, but I was wondering if I could have an apple from your stock,” she asked, trying hard not to blush at the fact that a princess was practically asking for a favor like that. “No problem miss. Please, take one,” the pony said. Twilight grabs an apple with her magic, securing it safely within her ethereal grasp. “Thank you. Where are you headed to?” Twilight asked.

“I’m taking this to a restaurant in Ponyville. The one next to the shopping complex. I’m a new dispatch working for the farm.”

“Oh, I see. Then it means that you’ll be around in Ponyville today?”

“Of course, miss. Not going anywhere else anytime today.”

“Great! Then I guess you can come to the party!”

“Go where, you say?” the dispatch questioned.

“I’m hosting a party for a newcomer in Ponyville. She works at Sugarcube Corner,” Twilight replied.

“Well, if that’s the reason, then you’re gonna have to make it two newcomers. I just got here a week ago.”

“Really? Why doesn’t anyone tell me about new ponies in town?! I’m supposed to welcome you! I’ll make sure this party is extraordinary!”

“Thanks, err... Sorry miss, I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“Thanks miss- TWILIGHT SPARKLE! THE PRINCESS TWILIGHT SPARKLE?! Ohhh...” the light-green mare shouted, almost fainting. Luckily Twilight shouldered her before she could fall.

“Now there, no need to be so excited,” Twilight said, feeling amused.

“Sorry about that, Prin-” the young mare spoke. Twilight cut her, “No need for formalities, please. Twilight’s just fine.”

“Right, sorry Twilight.”

“It’s okay. So where do you come from?” Twilight asked, eager to know more. “I came from across the continent, to the east, where the pandas live,” the mare replied. “Wow, that’s an awful long way to come just for a... job like this,” the princess said, surprised at the young mare’s determination. “I always wanted to come here, so I don’t mind, really,” the light-green unicorn replied cheerfully, “though I actually wanted to meet you.”

Twilight was flattered: a young pony (not to mention a unicorn!) came all this way to meet her? “Well, I think there’ll be more time for us to get to know each other later. You’ve got a delivery to make, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I better get to it. See you later, Twilight,” the young mare said.

“See you too... err...” Twilight replied, trailing off at the absence of the other mare’s name.

“It’s Mangolara.”

“Alright. See you later, Mangolara.”

As they exchange their goodbyes, Twilight can’t help but wonder about the friends she’s been making today. She wonders if there is more in store for her. Across from where the carriage was, is the local park. Twilight decided that some fresh air would be great. Heck, the day itself is starting to feel great already!

The park is quite vast since Fluttershy’s cottage is far away from most housing, thus most of the unused area serve as a habitat for many critters. Her cottage itself became a large apartment for rabbits, birds, cats and many more animals that could coexist in the same space, so long as there is no foul play (or too much of it). The stream that passes by her cottage houses many aquatic life forms. Fishes find safe passage through it to get to other parts of Equestria.

The sun is gently rising to a 30 degree angle from the horizon. It shouldn’t be too hot to have a stroll.

Twilight doesn’t have any particular destination to go to. She lets her hooves take her wherever they feel like going. Every sensation, every sentiment, every impulse moves her whole body left and right, back and forward. She took 20 steps to the front, 3 to the left, 3 to the right, several more forward and some more to the right and then left. She galloped a while and finally stopped.

In front of a tree.

It was almost fall. Twilight can see the leaves beginning to wither. In a few weeks time, the tree will be naked. But for now, it stands majestic. She doesn’t notice, in her musing, that an earth pony is hiding behind it. Her sight finally catches the pony.

“Hey there, didn’t see you a while ago,” Twilight said. “Why are you hiding?” she asked. The pony stays silent.

“Oookay... I guess I’ll be leaving then-”

“Wait! D... Don’t go,” the earth pony called out. It was a grayscaled young mare. “I’m... sorry I disturbed you.”

“Nonsense, you didn’t bother me at all. I was just thinking about the tree.”

“Really? What about it?” the mare asked.

Come to think of it, Twilight only thought about how the tree represents what her life was: a hope that slowly faded away. “Something about my past that I may not be able to correct anymore, nor could I make it better,” Twilight said in a gloomy voice, “the leaves are hope, but everypony knows that even they will soon fall, until not a single one remains. The tree will die in due time.”

“You’re wrong,” the young mare retorted. “It still lives,” the young mare continued, “sure, the leaves aren’t there anymore, but the tree trunk is filled with life. That’s why in spring, the leaves grow back again. Hope is just a cycle, and it’s as natural as the turning of the seasons. It just needs somepony to believe and not give up.”

“You’re a very smart mare. Your parents would be proud,” Twilight said, smiling proudly yet feeling humbled by the presence of such an insightful young mare. Even though she is younger, she is a book full of wisdom. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around in these parts before. Do you live here in Ponyville?” the old princess asked.

“I do. But my parents moved out three months ago. I didn’t want to, so I took up work with the gardener to earn some bits. I live in the old cottage now.”

“What? It’s cold in there at night! Don’t you have any other relatives around here?” Twilight asked, concerned for the mare. She would never let things like that occur.

“Well, no. All of my cousins are pegasi and they all live in Cloudsdale. So I’m practically stuck to the ground,” the grayscaled mare replied.

“Poor thing,” Twilight whispered, then she spoke, “well, I guess you can come and live with me. I mean, my place is huge. There are a lot of rooms.”

“But I can’t live with...” she trailed off before jumping back behind the tree.

Twilight tries to understand why this young mare is so scared of her, until she realizes. “You don’t have to be scared of me. I mean, living with a princess isn’t that bad, is it? I can take care of you. I’m not that good at cooking, but I can manage,” she offered, trying to keep her composure despite hesitating to the cooking part. Still, there’s always room for improvement.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” she replied, feeling scared.

“But you need it! You can’t survive winter out here! You’ll freeze to death! I’d rather give up my crown to make sure you stay safe rather than become princess while you suffer!”

“Really? You would do that? For me?”

“Not a single doubt. I won’t hesitate one bit. You are right, maybe I’ve lost all the hope I had, but as long as I can do something, I’m not giving up,” Twilight said firmly.

“I’ll... think about it,” the young mare replied. Twilight feels slightly disappointed. She is worried about her, but the young one doesn’t seem to be sure of herself.

“Alright. But be sure to come to tonight’s party. We’re welcoming two new additions to the town.”

“I will. Thanks for caring about me, Twilight,” the young mare said.

“That’s what friends are for. And I see that you noticed my distaste for the formalities,” Twilight remarked. “I learned that from Father. You told him off for doing that once,” she replied. “Very well. What’s your name?” the princess asked.

“It’s Ashrun,” the grayscaled young mare replied.

“Alright, I’ll see you later then, Ashrun. It was nice talking to you.”

With that, Twilight leaves Ashrun by the tree. Somehow, she begins feeling a new hope for her kingdom welling inside her. Ashrun is right. Twilight is still there and she is still powerful. If there is anything she wants to do, it is to set things right. Ponyville shall not become miserable like the Crystal Empire once was. Not under her watch.

The rest of the morning found Twilight inviting ponies to the party. She made a public announcement at the town hall and shopping complex. She was surprised, however, that not a single pony wanted to attend, despite it being free of charge (as always). Maybe this is how bad the 30% friendship rating is.

She could go with a ‘tough love’ approach. How dare those ponies stand up to the orders of their princess?! How dare they disobey her! But that would put the friendship part of the Princess of Friendship into the bin. And with the current situation, Twilight doesn’t. want to risk anything for a party. ‘Tough love’ will have to wait for some other time.

Wanting to give up, she makes her way to a nearby stall. Maybe some tea’ll help calm her nerves. “Excuse me, could I have some tea, please?” Twilight asked. “Of course,” the vendor said, “I recommend you try our newest recipe: the bubble tea. It’s tea with tapioca pearls. It’s good for calming down stress, and it’s chewy too!” the vendor proclaimed. “I’ll take whatever tea that could get my determination up and going,” Twilight replied, not paying too much attention to the pony she was speaking to. “Alright then, one black bubble tea brew, a bit spicy on the aftertaste, coming up!” the vendor shouted. Twilight ponders on how to return her country back to the previous successful state it was in, whilst waiting for the drink. Could she even do it?

“Your drink’s ready! That’ll be 7 bits, please,” the vendor announced. Twilight gives him the amount and grabs the drink with her magic. “Thank you very much, come again,” he said as Twilight left the stall. He better hope that this tea is worth that much. 7 bits for a mug? What is he thinking? Twilight wastes no time in drinking the beverage using the oversized straw that came along with it.

The tea is alright. It isn’t the best, like at the Canterlot Tea House. Not too much sugar, not too dull a taste. The spicy aftertaste is present, but it had the signature bitter taste that was present with tea. Maybe he infused the leaves too long. She continues drinking until suddenly, she can’t suck in anymore drink. Puzzled, she tries again. There is something blocking the tube. She continues to suck until finally the glob that is blocking the pipe pulled through.

It feels weird. The feeling of tapioca pearl inside her mouth is alien. With just the right amount of taste lingering from the tea, she begins chewing on it. The sensation is foreign to her. Twilight tries hard not to make weird faces as she savors every chew she can get before the jelly disintegrates. “That... was... awesome,” she said to no one in particular. She begins drinking again, this time finding more of those tasty yet tasteless jelly. She gets hold of a hoofful in her mouth and begins to chew. She loses control of herself and starts to moan softly through her closed mouth, closing her eyes.

At the last chew, she opens them again to find a young mare staring at her in disbelief. Her jaw is wide open and her eyes are at the largest aperture setting she could muster. Twilight swallows slowly. “I-I can explain. Really,” she said, trying to defend her dignity. “No need to, your Highness. I understand. It must’ve been the first time you tried bubble tea,” the light-brown earth pony said. “Y-Yes, it is. I didn’t know it was so... exotic.”

“You’ll get used to it. It’s exactly what I did when I first had one. Only I didn’t manage to suppress my noise too well,” the mare said, offering a share of experience. Twilight feels slightly relieved, knowing that it was a familiar reaction. She is so embarrassed that her cheeks are hot enough to burn the Sun. And the Sun is already burning!

“So, where have you been? We rarely see you anymore,” the mare asked. She must be a local resident. “Oh, just working. Being a princess sure comes with a table full of things to settle,” Twilight replied. “Oh, I see. Well, I heard your announcement just now, and I’d be glad to come to the party this evening,” the mare said. “Really?! Oh thank you! I’ll be sure to make it a good one!” Twilight yelled. She throws herself to the mare for a hug. “Always a pleasure to make the princess happy.”

“Say, I didn’t catch your name. What is it again?” Twilight asked.

“I’m Flowerprint. I work over at Rare Textiles Ltd. Our items are quite pricey but it’s only here and nowhere else. Though we also sell normal cloth.”

“Wow, so that must’ve been where the tailors got those amazing batiks. I really liked it.”

“Thank you for your compliments.”

“Well, I guess I need to go now. I’ve got to prepare the castle for the party,” Twilight said. “Of course. See you later then,” Flowerprint said. They wave at each other. Twilight turns to head out of the complex. She resumes drinking her tea, which has gotten colder. She searches for those flavorless tapioca pearls, but finds none. “Awww, it’s all gone.”

One thing that Twilight is always contemplating about is the need of a police force in the town. Ponyville is famous for disastrous events over the years, but never for crime. Yet Celestia had insisted on implementing one as a mean of managing criminal situations. So far, after the one year of it’s creation, not a single unit has been dispatched for dealing with crimes. Other tasks, such as getting pets out of sticky situations, helping the olds out of bed or across the street and controlling the wagon traffic at certain junctions are common.

But maybe she could be wrong. Seeing harrowing times like these makes Twilight afraid of being dethroned. Not that she loves being a ruler, but she is afraid of failing her citizens. Maybe the police force could come in handy at one time.

“Alright officers. You’ve done a good job. Dismiss!” a drill sergeant shouted the order. The cadets have just finished doing some basic training. They are lucky the sky is cloudy, else they could have been dehydrated. Twilight isn’t too fascinated about the military lifestyle, but she agrees that order needs to be maintained in order to function.

“Hello, Sergeant Major,” Twilight called out from behind. “Princess! Good day to you, Princess! How may I help you?” the stallion said in a much lower volume. “Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just having a walk around town, seeing how things are going. Your cadets look fine, Sergeant. You’ve done a good job,” the princess said. “Princess! It is not my working at all. It is they who have done their job well! Princess!” he replied. One thing that Twilight likes about the sergeant was his humility. Although the police force is only 10 ponies strong, their esprit de corp was unmatchable. They could put the Wonderbolts to shame! “Very well Sergeant. You may go. Good day to you,” Twilight said, then straightening her expression and posture, “Dismiss!”
“Princess! Acknowledged. Good day to you to! Princess!” he replied unwaveringly. He turns around at precisely 180 degrees before trotting into the police headquarter.

“Princess! Permission to speak with you! Princess!” a young unicorn mare called out from besides her. It is one of the junior officers on the team. Twilight turns to face her. “Permission granted. But please, speak freely. No need for protocols,” Twilight commanded. “Thank you. It’s been a while since we saw you out of your castle. We were getting worried,” the young mare said. “I thought I was in town last week?” Twilight replied, sounding a bit surprised at the revelation. “Actually, it’s been a whole month now. We thought something happened to you. I’m glad we were wrong.”

Has she been ‘gone’ that long? The workload sure has gotten into her.

“I guess paperworks are to blame. My desk still has some from last quarter! Can you believe it?!”

“I guess I could. Anyways, I heard about your party, and I just wanted to say that I’d be glad to come. The whole team, Sergeant Major included, didn’t want to participate since they’re worried about getting weird looks from the rival police force down in Appleloosa.”

“Oh...”

“Yeah, I know. Most of them are stallions, so I could understand their egos. Other mares in the team had dates, so they couldn’t come. That leaves only me.”

“Well, I guess ‘somepony’ is better than ‘nopony’ at all. I look forward to seein you. What’s your name?”

“It’s... well... don’t laugh okay?”

“Alright, I won’t.”

“My name’s Dragon... fly.”

“What?!” Twilight cried out, stifling her voice before it could betray her.

“Ugh, I knew-”

“No, it’s a... well, it sure is weird to be named after an insect, but I think it’s a great name, and it’s certainly not funny.”

“Maybe you could tolerate. I’ve had friends bugging me with my name since we were friends! It drives me crazy!”

“Well, you could always go for a short form. Dragon sounds nice.”

“Yeah, that’s what I call myself. Besides, it’s more fitting of me in the force!”

“Well, Miss Dragon, I’ll see you this evening. Don’t be late! Now that wouldn’t be fitting for an officer like you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Princess.”

“Very well. Good day to you. Dismiss!” Twilight commandeered. As she turns away, she couldn’t help but giggle.

Twilight initially started with the idea of having at least a tenth of the population of Ponyville in her castle. She thought of setting up some audio system and hire professional DJs. But with the current turnup of only 5 young mares, all whom she had spoken to before, she was relieved to not have done so. It would have cost her a dear amount of bits. And the food is still aplenty!

Peach Cobbler, Mangolara, Ashrun, Flowerprint and Dragonfly are all here. Twilight opted for a round table dinner instead of partying like mad. The chatter at the table is present. Peach Cobbler and Mangolara are talking to Flowerprint and Dragonfly about the town. Ashrun made her presence low, but spoke up from time to time. Peach Cobbler is hyper at times. Mangolara is composed, much like Flowerprint, but sometimes lets loose. Dragonfly, when not with her team, tends to speak freely and is quite brash sometimes.

And Twilight? She sits there, looking at the whole conversation in front of her. To her, it feels just like old times. Really old times.

“Twilight, you okay there?” Mangolara spoke from across the table. “Oh, I’m fine,” Twilight replied, chuckling, “Don’t you girls mind me,” she added in an assuring tone. “Say Twilight, we know that you’ve lived in Ponyville for a long time, so I was wondering if you could share some stories of how it was back then?” Ashrun asked. “Yeah! Can we please have one story, can we Twilight? Please?” Peach Cobbler begged. “Alright, alright, Peach. Let her talk, okay?” Dragonfly scolded her. “Now, now, Dragon, no need for force. We’re eating right now,” Flowerprint interrupted.

“Oh my, there’s so many things to say. Where do I even start?” Twilight said.

“Well, you could start with the first day you came here. Or were you born here? The history books don’t really write about you that much. They just mention that you are the Princess of Friendship and that you were tasked with keeping the magic of friendship in check. That’s pretty much what I could remember. Not a single backstory,” Ashrun said.

“Well, for starters, I was born in Canterlot, and I was raised there. I was always interested in magic ever since I was a little filly. So I studied magic, mostly by myself, until one day, I was admitted to the entrance exam for Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

“Wow, that must’ve been hard. I checked the requirements before. It’s outrageous!” Dragonfly said.

“Wait, so you were a unicorn before? How is that even possible? I mean, how did you grow a pair of wings?” asked Peach Cobbler.

“We’ll get to that part. Anyways, I had to hatch a dragon egg in order to pass the entrance exam. I didn’t think I could do it, but somepony helped me and I ended up hatching the egg. The dragon was named Spike, and throughout the years, I and him studied under the tutelage of Princess Celestia herself.”

“No way. You’ve got to be kidding me. Princess Celestia?” Mangolara exclaimed.

“None other than the Regent of the Sun herself. I was nominated her most faithful student.”

“So wait, you’re... how old are you again, Twilight?” Flowerprint asked. “Well, this year I’m turning 523.”

“Goodness me! But you look so young! You’re not very different from our age!” she exclaimed.

“You should meet Celestia. She’s practically at her 2000 this year. And she looks young!”

“Alicorns sure have a lifetime in their hooves,” Ashrun said.

“One day, about 505 years ago, Princess Celestia sent me on a mission to study the magic of friendship. That’s when I first came to Ponyville with Spike. At the time, the Summer Sun Celebration was approaching and I was also tasked with overseeing the ceremony’s organization. I’m glad it’s still a standing tradition in Ponyville after so many years. Did you know what it was for?”

“Well, we don’t do it in the east, but I think it was to celebrate the longest day in the year?” Mangolara answered. “No, you silly! It was to celebrate Princess Luna!” Peach Cobbler retorted. “I thought it was to celebrate her return, Peach, and not her per se,” Flowerprint replied to her friend. “It was to celebrate the defeat of Nightmare Moon, guys,” Dragonfly said, offering her thoughts. “I have my theories, but I think I’d rather let Twilight here confirm all of it. Please, continue with the story Twilight,” Ashrun said.

“Right. Well most of the guesses are correct-”

“Ahah! I knew it!” Peach Cobbler interrupted. “Be quiet Peach!” Dragonfly chided.

“The Summer Sun Celebration used to be about celebrating the defeat of Nightmare Moon. That was it’s purpose ever since Celestia banished her once-corrupted sister, Luna, to the moon about one and a half millennium ago. That all changed during the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. The Outer Space has a very strange mechanical law that allows celestial bodies like planets, stars and moons to line up, giving creatures the power to travel safely from one point to another across large distances. And true to the calculations, the stars lined up and aided Nightmare Moon in her escape on the thousandth year of her banishment. That was the time I was sent to Ponyville.”

“So you were basically supervising a disaster? How great,” Ashrun said. “Well, if you put it that way,” Twilight replied. “But how did Princess Luna return to her original form? Did somepony purified her?” Flowerprint asked. Twilight stared at them. “You’ve never heard about it at all? I mean, back at our time, that was considered basic history. Although it’s more of like chit-chat rather than in the books.”

They all shook their heads. Twilight sighed a little. “I guess that from time to time, history does get rewritten,” she said.

“Well, young mares, not somepony, but six of them. They were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, a powerful force that existed in Equestria. I don’t think many have seen it, but it remains on display at the Tree of Harmony, in the Everfree Forest. Anyways, each element represents an element of friendship. I think they still tell you this in school, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they still do. Although it’s a stub in Magic since no one could use it, and it is covered in History for being an artifact that was used many times to restore balance,” Dragonfly said.

“O... kay. Well, you see, the Elements of Harmony were originally gemstones. Celestia and Luna took them from the Tree of Harmony in order to defeat Discord, the Spirit of Chaos a long, long time ago. Then, in another occasion, they were used again by Celestia in order to banish Nightmare Moon. The Elements were kept in the old castle in the Everfree Forest. On the day of her return, the six ponies braved the dangers of the evil place in order to retrieve the Elements and defeat her.”

Twilight stood silently.

“But Nightmare Moon came too early, and she shattered them. All hope seemed lost back then, but those six ponies weren’t any pony, they were the embodiment of the Elements themselves. They each had the Elements in them. Pinkie Pie was the Element of Laughter. Rarity was the Element of Generosity. Rainbow Dash was the Element of Loyalty. Applejack was the Element of Honesty. Fluttershy was the Element of Kindness. And...”

Tears begin to fall down Twilight’s cheeks.

“Twilight? Are you ok?” Peach Cobbler asked, concerned etched all over her face. Twilight tries to fight back her feelings, but the reminiscing has taken a toll on her. She tried to avoid talking about her friends, but she couldn’t take it anymore. She begins to sob. “Twilight, it’s okay if you don’t want to continue, we’ve heard a lot already,” Mangolara said, trying to calm her down. “No. I have to continue. Sorry girls, it’s just that there’s so much memory from all those years ago,” Twilight insisted. She took some deep breath before continuing her story.

“Right, so I said that those ponies were the embodiment of the Elements. I mentioned five of them, but do you know who represented the sixth Element?”

“No idea, Twilight. They didn’t bother telling us about that either. Although, I think I saw a mention of a princess or something like that,” Dragonfly said.

“The embodiment of the Element of Magic was... me.”

“WHAT?!” all five shouted in unison.

“All six of us bore the elements and used them to defeat Nightmare Moon and restore Luna, the Regent of the Moon. After that day, I was tasked to remain in Ponyville in order to study the magic of friendship. And truth be told, it was the best thing that had happened to me. We went through many things, us six. But whatever the situation was, we always stuck together. You know, even though pegasi and earth ponies can’t cast magic, the magic of friendship is always stronger than anything any princesses could manage. Finally, Celestia deemed that I was ready, and she transformed me into an alicorn.”

“So, what happened to your friends, Twilight?” Flowerprint asked.

“They all left Ponyville a few hundred years ago after they got married. And I haven’t seen them since. Though I still have a picture that we took when I was crowned the Princess of Friendship.”

Twilight rummages through a small box she had with her and procured the photograph. Twilight was standing in the center, smiling. To her left was Applejack and Pinkie, and to her right was Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow. Spike stood in the front, blocking Applejack’s body and Twilight’s left wing. They were all standing in front of a glass mural, presumably in the castle somewhere.

“Hey! I’ve seen that photo before! We have one back at Los Pegasus,” Peach Cobbler said. “You have?” Twilight questioned. Now it’s her turn to be puzzled. “Me too! Mom kept it on the shelf,” Mangolara said. “Same here. It’s the only thing I saved before my parents moved out,” Ashrun joined in. “I have it in one of my albums,” Flowerprint added. “I got one too. I hung it on the wall. It’s framed,” Dragonfly said.

Twilight’s mind is trying to process the sudden intake of unexpected revelations. She had given a copy of those photos to each and every one of her friends. Spike took his with him when he went for Deep Slumber, and no pony dared venturing beyond the Badlands. Twilight had kept hers safe with her all the time. Only she could open the box. The photos were enchanted, so it’ll appear blank to anypony but the seven of them. Given the possibilities and eliminated variables, she could only come up with one conclusion.

“Girls, tell me, how did you all get a hold of that picture?”

“I don’t know. Mom said that it’s a gift from a princess as a token of her friendship to our ancestors,” Mangolara said. The others nodded in agreement.

“So that means that... you all must be-”

“Silly Twilight, of course they are!” Pinkie Pie said. Twilight turned her head to look at Peach Cobbler, instead finding Pinkie Pie on the seat. “Ain’t no doubt ‘bout it alright!” Applejack proclaimed from where Mangolara was sitting. “Heheh, took you a while to figure it out. But I bet you didn’t figure me out!” Rainbow Dash said, Ashrun replaced by the cyan mare. “Darling, I’m sure you’ve seen the signs. It’s far too obvious!” Rarity exclaimed from Flowerprint’s seat. “Um, I guess it wasn’t too obvious to you,” Fluttershy murmured, replacing Dragonfly.

“Girls! OHMYGOSH! It is you!” Twilight exclaimed. “I don’t believe it! It’s been years!”

“Yeah, we know Twilight. Sorry we didn’t get to see you before we go,” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “We wished that we could return to Ponyville to see you before we pass away, but things didn’t go as planned,” Rarity said sadly. “Yeah. I missed the smell of Sugarcube Corner and parties,” Pinkie Pie added.

“Girls, don’t be sorry. I feel thankful enough to get to see you now. I’ve... I’ve missed you so much.”

“We missed you to, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “If I could get back ‘ere I’d done did already. We’re so sorry Twi,” Applejack added.

“It’s okay, girls. I’ve learned to live with it. Really.”

“I’m sure glad you did Twi.”

“I’ve met your great great great grandchildren. They were very friendly. I’m so proud of you girls.”

“It was nothing, really. I kinda missed them. Never got to see the younger ones though,” Rainbow replied. “Hey, do you know that you can find them in the Land of Eternity?” Pinkie exclaimed. “You’re joking, right?” Rarity retorted. “Umm, actually, you can. I mean, I found my husband and all my fillies and colts,” Fluttershy added. “Why didn’t anyone tell me!?” Rarity said, annoyed.

“My, it must really be paradise over there,” Twilight mumbled. “Sure is, sugarcube. Almost seem like them apple orchards to me! Though I admit it’s way better than back home,” Applejack confirmed.

“Girls, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” Twilight said. The mares went all-ears, “I love you all so much. I’m sorry that we didn’t part ways on a more friendlier term, but I wanted to say thank you for all the times we’ve spent together.”

“We love you too Twilight. We’re always a part of you,” Fluttershy said, her voice was motherly. “Whenever you need us, we’re always right here,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing to her heart. “We live in you Twilight. Everything you do is always a reflection to a part of us,” Rarity said. “All the fun memories we share together,” Pinkie said, “And all ‘em keepsakes,” Applejack added.

“Thank you girls,” Twilight replied.

“Well, gotta go now Twi. We’ll miss you a lot. Party on! Umm, take care of our children for us. Yeah, make sure they become as cool as me!” they all said, one after the other in a mix.

“I will, girls. I will.”

“See ya Twilight!” they all shouted as they fade into a strong bright light emanating from the center of the table.

“Twilight? Wake up! Twilight, wake up!” a pony shook her. Twilight opens her eyes to find herself lying on the floor, facing all five young mares she had invited over for a party-turned-dinner. “Girls, oh, I’m sorry. I must’ve fainted,” Twilight said weakly. “More like paused for three seconds and then BAM! You fell over,” Peach Cobbler described. “What a way to phrase it, Peach,” Flowerprint shot at her.

“You didn’t finish what you were going to say,” Ashrun interrupted, “What was it? What are we?”.

“I was just saying that you all must be my best friends.”

Twilight scoops all five young mares for a group hug. “You’re my best friend too, Twilight,” Mangolara said. “Me too!” Peach Cobbler added. “Count me in!” Dragonfly said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Flowerprint joined in. “Me neither,” Ashrun too.

They stay hugged for some time, before letting go. “It’s already getting late, girls. I think it’s best if you go back home. I heard that it’s going to rain this evening,” Twilight said.

“Actually, Twilight. Can we stay over tonight? I’d love to hear more stories from you,” Ashrun said. “Oh, sleepover! Can we?” Peach Cobbler added.

“Well, the castle is big enough for six ponies. Sure, you all can.”

All five young mares burst with joy. Secretly, Twilight wanted to join in the fun, too.

“Come, I’ll show you to the chambers. We can talk all night long. I’ve got many stories to tell. Oh! Have you all heard about the...” Twilight said as they disappeared into the hallway. On top of the dinner table, the old picture of her and her friends lay still, it’s color withstanding the test of time, much like their friendship.

The mares are asleep now. Twilight only has one big king-sized bed and a single bed to spare, so she tucked all five of them in the former. They fit perfectly, with a few inches to spare on either side. As for the princess herself, she had decided to sleep on the single bed.

But not before a short letter to Celestia.

She scoots over to her desk and pulls a parchment and her quill. It is one of Owlowiscious’ feather. The old owl finally gave his final breath 30 years after he first appeared at the Golden Oaks Library. This enchanted plume is the only memento that she has of one of her faithful assistants.

She begins to write,

Dear Princess Celestia,

It’s been a while since I wrote a friendship report to you. Knowing that I’m a princess now, you’d never expect something like this anymore. But true is the saying that goes: “Learning is a life-long process.” So today, I’m reporting to you yet another lesson I’ve learned about the magic of friendship.

As you may recall, it’s been 500 years since I first started my sovereign task of ruling over Ponyville as the Princess of Friendship. I still remember you telling me that this is a task that shall be done together with my friends. But ever since they left, I’ve been going at it alone with Spike. That duet didn’t last long though, as current situations in Ponyville aren’t too bright.

But today I learned something about friendship. It’s that even when your friends are gone—and by gone, I mean passed away—a part of them will always stay with you. The memories we shared, the trinkets we’ve collected and the feelings we had for each other: they are all symbols of an ever-present friendship.

And I also learned that your friends can never be truly gone. Their children carry their legacy with them as well. Sure, they aren’t the same ponies, but they are friends, nonetheless. I thought I lost them when they died, but I was wrong. I’ve found them once again, Princess. For somepony who isn’t used to it, it’ll be weird the first time. But it’s only a matter of time. We just have to give it hope, and try to be friends. In time, ponies who had nothing to do with each other in the beginning will truly find a reason to be together. It happened to me once a long time ago, and it happened to me again now.

I guess that some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes.

Your Faithful Student, as always,
Twilight Sparkle.

She drops her quill in the ink bottle. It sits there securely. She rolls the parchment and ties a ribbon around it, and seals it with wax. She casts a flame spell and the letter burst into flames and flew out of the window. She turns her head over to the sleeping quintet.

“Good dreams, girls. We’ll be friends all over again. Because our friendship is one that truly transcends a lifetime.”

She strolls over to her bed and tucks herself in. She blows an airstream over to the candle on the desk, and the flames are extinguished.

Author's Note:

[AN]

Hello everyone, Little Kaiser here, reporting for another fic.

This idea came after watching an episode from the famous Avatar: The Last Airbender series. I was interested about the link of friendship between Avatar Roku, Monk Gyatso and Avatar Aang.

This is supposed to follow on after my first fic, Better. But I didn't make too much reference to it, since I wanted it to be able to be separate, should anyone wish not to read the first fic. If you are one of those people, then you didn't miss out on anything.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Don't forget to rate. Leave a comment if you want.

Little Kaiser, signing out.

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