Chapter 1
"Twilight? Is something troubling you?" Princess Celestia asked, sounding concerned.
"Oh, I just realized I have some studying to catch up on. I'm still not used to these wings quite yet," Twilight Sparkle responded. Sensing her faithful student was really just making an excuse to be alone, she allowed her to leave.
"Thank you, Princess." Twilight bowed and then clumsily flew off. She gave up and ended up trotting the rest of the way to her suite in the castle. Twilight made sure the door was locked before she curled up on the floor and cried.
Why did I agree to this? She thought sorrowfully. I would give up my immortality just to see them again.
Twilight thought back to that fateful day.
---
"That was spectacular, my faithful student," Princess Celestia smiled.
"Does this mean…?" Twilight asked hopefully.
"Yes, you are ready to advance in your studies," Princess Celestia confirmed. Twilight skipped around joyfully, feeling as elated as she had when she got her cutie mark. She had done well in her magic presentation and she was going to learn even more wonderful spells.
"Your advancement would require you to make a very big decision," Princess Celestia stated suddenly. Twilight stopped skipping.
"Whatever do you mean, Princess?" the young unicorn asked.
"To be able to perform the spells I am to teach you, you need to become an alicorn, such as myself."
Twilight thought for a moment.
"What decision must I make then? Whether or not I want to become an alicorn?" Twilight asked.
"It's not that simple. You see, my dear Twilight, if you become an alicorn, you cannot change back and you become immortal," Princess Celestia explained.
"Well, then I could study magic with you, forever," Twilight said.
"What about your friends?" Princess Celestia pointed out. Twilight realized what her mentor was trying to say.
"Well, if I became an alicorn, I could still see my friends for the time being," Twilight thought aloud.
"Are you sure that's the choice you want to make?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Let me talk to them," Twilight requested.
"I'll send for them immediately," Princess Celestia offered.
"Thank you, Princess," Twilight said.
Soon, Twilight's five best friends and dragon assistant arrived at the castle gates. Twilight ran up and hugged them all.
"What's goin' on, Twi?" the country pony Applejack asked.
"Let's walk and I'll explain," Twilight said, leading her friends around the castle. She explained the decision at hoof and she asked for each of their opinions.
"Oh Twilight, don't let us hold you back from such an opportunity," Fluttershy said.
"Yeah, and if you become an alicorn I can throw you a party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"And wings are awesome! I mean, check this out!" Rainbow said, flying up into the air and performing a series of flips and spins.
"Darling, just listen to your heart. Whatever you feel is best I'll completely support you," Rarity shared.
"Eeyup. Like the others said, this is a great chance I think ya should consider," Applejack added.
Twilight turned to Spike, the one she'd known for so long and had hatched from that little egg so many years ago.
"I'd miss you!" Spike burst, running and hugging Twilight.
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked confused.
"Well, you'd be with Princess Celestia all the time working on your magic," Spike said, releasing Twilight.
"Not all the time," Twilight said, "and if that were the case, I'd make time for you and my friends."
"Are you sure about this, Twi?" Spike asked.
"Well, it seems like the most logical choice. I mean, how often do ponies get the chance to become an alicorn?" Twilight decided.
"If you think so…" Spike said sadly.
Twilight and her friends then headed to Princess Celestia, where the transformation took place. It was a special magic that could only be performed by either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. Twilight felt all tingly after and she saw her friends gasp.
"You're taller," Fluttershy squeaked.
"But check out those wings!" Rainbow Dash said, flying over to Twilight. "Can you fly?"
Twilight flapped her wings, but to no avail. She shook her head no.
"Well, this is gonna take some gettin' used ta," Applejack said.
"No kidding," Twilight replied, looking back at her wings.
---
From that day on, Twilight had begun seeing her friends less and less as she progressed in her studies. Twilight hadn't thought much of it until she noticed how old her friends were becoming. And before she knew it, they were gone.
Twilight cried harder at the memory. She stood up and looked out her window. She could see her former home, Ponyville. Swept up in it all, Twilight began to sing.
"I used to know what friendship could be,
When you all shared its magic with me.
When I was young I was too foolish to see that my friends
Were completely worth the effort they expended.
Now I have finally opened up my eyes,
And now the truth is crystal clear, as chilly winter nights
And it's such a terrible surprise.
My little ponies
I used to know what friendship could be.
My little ponies
When you all shared its magic with me.
When danger made me wanna hide, you Rainbow Dashed to my side,
Kindness was never in short supply, once smitten, twice Fluttershy.
For honesty no pony could deny, you were the Applejack of my eye,
A heart that shined so beautiful, a Rarity to come by,
And you all made fun and laughter, as easy as Pinkie Pie.
My little ponies
I used to know what friendship could be.
My little ponies
When you all shared its magic with me.
Our friendship was magic, and it grew all the time.
New adventures waited for us each day, it was yours and mine.
We made it special everytime!
We made it special everytime!
My little ponies
What a wonderful wonder friendship brought
My little ponies
Did you know you were my very best
Friends! You were my very best
Friends! You were my very best
Friends! You were my very best
Friends!"
Twilight sat there in regret. If she had only known…
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That was a very sad fic.
Let me go set something on fire.
And? I mean any finite time will pass by in the blink of an eye given a potentially infinite frame of reference. It doesn't make the finite time frame any less meaningful than it was. Welcome to Celestia's world, Twilight.
Ah yes, the 'is immortality a gift or a curse' story, IMO it's defiantly a curse.
Quite a touching fic.
Behold, the soul-crushing hammer of time!
Edit: Yeeeahh, my core reason for liking this is the enjoyment I get from the knife-twist of hubris. I may not be the nicest of ponies.
Ah, the classic "who wants to live forever" Twilicorn story. Why do I get the feeling that if canon does end up doing Twilicorn, it would just shrug this off like it did "Dash breaking a wing", and "Twilight learns Dark Magic"?
I'm still waiting for one of these Twilicorn's to subvert "who wants to live forever". "I'll live forever but my friends will all die? Sign me up. I can always make new friends to go along with the old ones, and just think of all the new and exiting things I can do."
Not bad. Admittedly this is more regret she didn't spend more time with her friends than regrets of immortality itself or so it appears to me. She could have spent their entire lives with them before returning to her studies after all so I can see why she might regret not having been there with them.
Agreed, xTSGx, this is something I'm looking for personally. I find the whole immortality sucks angle overplayed and a little melodramatic.
Eh, not to my taste.
I prefer the optimistic take on immortality. Mortals like to imagine that it's just this crushing weight of endless losses stretching out behind you and growing ever longer, but I think otherwise. You'll always have the rest of your life ahead of you to make new friends in.
Let's face it here; Twilight has it pretty easy, with a total of three immortal friends and one at-least-long-lived friend (two of whom are arguably closer than her ponyville friends).
Chances are that if Twilight does become an Alicorn it won't be permanet since that would change the show too much.
Still this is pretty good, a bit short but it's good.
2034171
Yeah, but you continue to loose everyone... I recall a story (creepypasta to be exact) that detailed a man was driving down a old town road and someone just jumped in front of his car, the man who was hit was laughing hysterically, saying he could now be free from his curse (immortality) and the man driving the car now took on his "curse" which he thought was great once he noticed it's effects. He stayed the same age while his wife and friends started aging, and dying. Of course, Just like in highlander, people started calling him a witch and all that, so he had to move every so many years, making friends, seeing them die, he became manic depressive and turned to drugs in his immortal state to try to kill the pain, eventually he found somone (another unwilling suspect) to kill him so he could be free from his curse.
tl;dr, I see immortality as portrayed in this story (living among mortals) as a bad thing. It weighs heavily on you. I for one couldn't stand to loose everyone I knew every 40 to sixty years.
1.a tad fast.
That's the only thing wrong. I loved it! so sad...
2041342
That seems so negative though. Immortality isn't just a bad thing, it's such a horrible curse that it will drive insane with grief? That seems ridiculous to me. Hitchhiker's Guide puts a nice take on it. If you're naturally immortal, you're just born with the coping abilities and psyche necessary to deal with it. To watch everyone die and then shrug because that means there will be new friends later.
Pinkie seems like she would cope relatively well. Don't cry for what is lost, celebrate because it was there at all. Move on and make new friends.
Anyway, one thing to keep in mind is that in a fantasy setting as upbeat as this one, there's none of that 'witch' crap. You aren't shunned by the entire community because you're an evil unaging demon or anything, rather you have the support of the entire community behind you because everyone really is just that nice.
I swear, it's like the fandom has some weird 'optimism-blindspot' when it comes to immortality for the most part. Everywhere else it's okay for everything to be sunshine and rainbows, but the idea of living forever? Goodness no, that would be the most horrible thing ever, you'd be shooting up heroine inside of two centuries to escape the pain.
2043375
But pinkie wasn't the one who became immortal in this. Also, this story has regret, Twilight regrets that she didn't see her friends more often. Though we all live with regret ANYWAY.
This is a one in a million Fantasy setting though. Considering it IS a kid's TV show. And also, Twilight wasn't born with immortality, she received it. I just haven't seen immortality in a positive light as I've grown up (As we see it; in a mortal body, immortality after-death is different, IMO anyway.) Another good resource for my antagonism of immortality is Justice League: Doom. Ignoring the fact that (Justice league doom spoilers) The main villain became ridiculously wealthy, obviously due to his being immortal. But even he had no purpose, and had to find purpose. I'm sorry if I'm not making sense, I just don't view immortality as a positive thing. I revel in the fact and take comfor that I have a purpose and a finite time in which to complete that purpose, and the strivings and negative emotions of this life are finite as well.. I see death as something to welcome, not necessarily seek. but when the time comes to allow it to take me.
While I disagree with the point of the story, I can only say it is very well written. Especially your song is awesome!
2043549 I disagree. Mortality does not bring purpose, just as immortality does not remove it. Purpose is something you either find, or choose for yourself. And mortality gets more in the way of finding and fulfilling one's purpose than anything else. Sure, the existential dread may make you hurry in seeking your purpose and trying to fulfill it, as you can not afford to wait, but the other side of the medal is that you do not really have time to plan, resulting in poorly thought out decision and the same society destructing viciousness that on a smaller scale leads starving people to cannibalize each other, and that the majority of the population always remains immature because those who gain a semblance of insight and competence usually die of old age at best a few decades afterwards, only to be replaced by more immatures.
This may sound bitter and a bit speculative, but why do you think Equestria as a state functions so well? - Because an immortal with millennia of experience is managing it.
2098229
Very good points, let me go from the bottom up.
Equestria as a state functions so well becuase the ponies are self-governing, yes, there is a ruler, and yes, I'm sure there are laws. But they also take responsibility where it's needed. It also seems that the whole kingdom (queendom?) monarchy is ultimately guided by a single principal - friendship. Treat strangers like they're a friend, and this is accepted across the board.
I'd have to agree, morality in and of itself does not GIVE purpose, but I believer that for most people purpose is finite. I dunno about you, but for me, immortality would not extend my purpose, it would just give me reason to procrastinate. But, that's a rabbit trail.
I'd have to disagree though that having a finite time in life would result you in "viciously" pursuing your purpose. For most people, in some way shape or form their purpose is to help people. But that may just be the scope of my mind, because that's part of my purpose. Yes - immortality would allow me to help more people, but that doesn't discredit my earlier statements. The crushing depression of losing everyone you love every sixty or eighty years or so. I just wouldn't be able to handle it. I simply think that crippling depression would creep in. I dunno how else to say it. I've gone through times that I've been so ridiculously depressed over things that I can't control, And that put me in a funk for like three days. Those were three of the longest days I've ever had.
[...]"and that the majority of the population always remains immature because those who gain a semblance of insight and competence usually die of old age at best a few decades afterwards, only to be replaced by more immatures."
I totally understand where you're getting at, and that's where proper education comes in at. We can overcome that cycle and move this world into a better place in the mater of a century or two, if people don't get so "me me me" and learn from those who know, who have the right insight. We as a society (at least in America, I can't speak for other countries) need to quit being so "me" minded and start helping other people. That's not the government's job, that's the citizens job. That's truly why equestria functions so well.
2125981 I come to agree with you on the point of Equestria also working well because they are self-governing. I still think Celestia being immortal plays a major role for their stability, but more on the overarching national and international level.
Not wanting immortality because you would continously outlive your friends makes sense from a strongly emotional perspective, but people in general differ much in that regard. I for example hardly miss people, my late and back then very dear grandparents included. I even see my closest friends only every few months by now, due to living half a city apart, and I do not miss them.
And given that Twilight seemed not to be affected by having next to no contact to her bother and parents pretty much since she went to school, it would actually make sense for her to not be too much affected by outliving her friends. She may try her best to enlongate their lifespan, but when they die she imo would probably return to her studies in a 'business as usual' manner.
I can see her as the remaining constant of the Element Bearers, maintaining her own element and recruiting new bearers for the other five elements as the old ones die. A bit ot a Mini-Celestia, having an eye on continuous magical research and maintaining a full roster of element bearers at any time, while Celestia still governs the principality as a whole.
With the society destroying viciousness I mean people contantly pursuing short term goals, many of them very materialistic and ultimately hedonistic, without caring about the long term consequences or even the short-term consequences to other parts of the global human population, because they do not expect to live long enough for it to come back to bite them. They waste tremendous amounts of money and resources on status symbols and fleeting experiences because they see no long-term reward in investing it into something more costructive like funding scientific research or societal development - because they do not expect to live long enough to win the laurels for it.
It directly overlaps with the "Me Me Me" problem you pointed out.
It is ultimately because we are at a transition point in human memetic evolution - on the one hand the fear of deities no longer keeps us in line, on the other hand, like the legs of someone who has walked most of his life on crutches, our personal moral convictions, and the societal mechanisms to foster them, are not yet strong enough to walk on their own, and as a result we crash back down to caveman behavior, only with a higher technology level. We are not yet used to viewing with a long perspective at the material world, instead of only viewing with a long perspective at a theroretical afterlife (personally I believe in reincarnation).
As for depressions, I had my share of them. My coping mechanism was actively cultivating the resulting indifference, and turning it against all feelings that I considered the cause of the depression. I works fairly well, actually, but then again I am fairly anti-social to begin with, so I did not percieve the resulting numbness as loss. At this point I cared too little about my own life to consider suicide any longer and I did actually fairly well in school because I got too indifferent for much to distract me.
Funny enough, when I left that indifference, my grades began to plummet. By now I am seeking ways to return to it so I can finish my second attempt at a studium.
2126194
Exactly. So, it seems we agree directly on many things, we just are running into disagreeing in immortality. Well, and a few other things.
You say that outliving people and emotions vary from person to person, true, true, but you and I differ highly in this regard. My best friend and room mate for the last.. oh... two or three years recently moved out to live with a family we mutually know from church to learn about functional family units. I miss him terribly and it's hard not seeing him or even talking to him on a daily basis.
"And given that Twilight seemed not to be affected by having next to no contact to her bother and parents pretty much since she went to school, it would actually make sense for her to not be too much affected by outliving her friends."
I dunno about that.. just look at the expression on her face and obvious sadness at the end of episode 2... At the prospect of leaving her friends. If she was able to make it past the first generation without giving up and becoming mortal again, she could probably do it. But my guess is she would teeter on giving up her immortality and keeping it, along with crushing depression for a while and then give up her immortality, but that's also behind my colored glasses and my mind. More likely should would teeter between mortality and immortality and choose immortality in the end.
2033969
Likewise. "who wants to live forever" always seems like sour grapes to me: we don't have it, so it must not be worth it, and I'm sure it's terrible anyway.
Anyone who thinks they'd get bored with immortality has an insufficiently creative imagination. However, anyone who wants to test that theory experimentally, let me know; I'll be the immortal control group. Sorry, though, you won't live to find out the answer.
I remember the first time I read this story. It's a good one. Very sad, but I enjoyed reading it.
This...this is just so sad. I just couldn't imagine outliving nearly everyone I know and love. I have you, Alpha, and everyone else from FF that I hold dear to me and just trying to picture myself losing all of you...
Really makes you stop and appreciate what you have.
Immortality is not something I would ever want. You may make new friends but your very first friends would always have a special place in your heart and could never be replaced. I don't even want to think about the family aspect of it.
Em, I truly enjoy your stories; they're always so good at conveying a certain emotion. I hope you decide to write more in the future.
3306988 Aww, thanks Sabre!
3155656 Thanks Singer! Sorry for not saying anything sooner...heh.
Everyone else: Sorry for not individually commenting on your reviews, but that would take a long time. Anywho, I just wanted to thank you for your reviews and your thoughts on this are really neat to look through.
3307115 You bet, Em! I concur with Sabre. I hope you write more stories in the future!