Times a bit loopy they say · 10:59am Mar 30th, 2023
As Time Goes By is my first foray back into comedy after 'Snug as a bug', 8-9 months of seperation doesn't seem like a lot but it certainly feels an eternity!
The idea of this came from the SunsetxVillains competition requiring a native Equestrian partner for ol' Shimmy. While I had a few ideas floating around (Sombra as a 'Chamber of Secrets' style pen pal to a pre-mirror Sunset held some possibilities I wont lie), I kept gravitating back to Blueblood.
While not a villain per-se, he's certainly presented as an antagonist and has a sizable hatedom. More than that though he offers potential thanks to one of Sunsets more nebulous issues. Namely her age and place in time.
Some fans run her as a pony in her early twenties, with the mirror giving her a teenage body, using Princess Twi as an example. This leads to rather uncomfortable questions being raised about her romantic interactions with the human cast, especially Flash. Canonically the writers did explain that (while not giving a set number) she is both mentally and physically the correct age to be at CHS, her development as presented on screen shows this.
Of course we run into the second problem, her place in time. She was Celestias pupil before Twilight...but Bookhorse hadn't heard of her. It (and the resultant time drift in the EQG Human world) is a real headache in the fandom.
Discussing it with others on Discord, we came to a rough conclusion that (before Twilight hacking the Mirror in Rainbow Rocks) there was significant time dilation. When Twilight linked the portal to her journal, however, both EQG and Equestria were synchronised time-wise.
Now, I personally (unless explicitly stated otherwise) run with the time drift idea in mind for all my EQG and Sunset-based work, that and a rough approximation of "The Fall of Sunset Shimmer" occurred. However, I lean more towards "Sunset was a bratty 16-year-old" for her background. She's a teen who's too smart for her own good, with all the skill but little experience and ultimately her evil plan reflects that. Only after Shimmer gets drunk on dark magic does she step into "super villain" territory.
Now, where was I? Ah yes, Blueblood.
We know little to nothing of his past, and a lot of it is fanon, but is it REALLY that hard to imagine these two crossing paths? Two insufferable unicorns, bonding over their own arrogance and quiet loneliness?
I say no.
For the purposes of this story, both Blueblood and Sunset broke it off at 16, while Twilight was 5 years old at the time. Just months away from the Rainboom and the beginning of her journey. As such when we pick this story back up Blueblood is 28, Twilight a very stressed 17-18-year-old (starting FIM at roughly 16) and Shimmer is a spritely 18.
The title actually came from a gentle rom-sitcom I quite enjoy also called "As Time Goes By". Titles are usually the last thing I work on, and it was pure serendipity that it came to me, the show itself being about two old lovers reuniting after 30-odd years apart.
Musically, I was inspired by Stupendiums "Vending Machine Of Love". It's a cheeky little number, heavily laden with innuendos, but definitely gave the vibe I wanted. Sexy, funny, a tad uncomfortable. Just the thing I could imagine playing as Twilight slams more pillows on her head, because remember everyone, the Book Horse needs her sleep.
As Time Goes By rocked - it was a nice series, and the title really does fit.
Poor Twilight, although the last scene with Celestia does make up for it. She is indeed finally growing up :)