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// Time Gone, Time Ahead 
// Story: Little Glimpses 
// by Skijarama 
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    That evening, as the sun gradually dipped towards the horizon, Twilight found herself waiting on the second story balcony of the Golden oaks library for her teacher to come speak with her. The Summer Sun Celebration party was still in full swing. Ponies danced, sang, played silly games and ate meals at tables. It was all highly enhanced by the frightening experience of Nightmare Moon showing back up, only to be reformed back into Princess Luna, although the small alicorn currently stayed by her big sister’s side and hid from the world, by the looks of it.

    Twilight would have ruminated on it further, but Celestia herself was seen approaching the library with a happy, if tired, expression on her face. Once at the base of the tree, her wings unfolded and, with a few gentle flaps, she arrived on the same balcony as Twilight. She wasted no time in sitting down beside her student and looking over the town.

    For almost three minutes, the two sat in perfect silence. Finally, Twilight took a deep, shaky breath. “Were… were you planning on turning me into an alicorn? Into a princess?” she asked hesitantly, scuffing the wood beneath her with a hoof.

    Celestia looked down at Twilight with an unreadable expression. “...I still do, if you pass my tests.”

    Twilight gasped and looked to Celestia. “Wait, you said foreknowledge is a dangerous thing to have! Why did you just tell me?”

    Celestia tittered softly. “Because you already know, Twilight. Besides, you don’t know what trials you will have to pass to achieve such a position.”

    “Right… fair enough, I suppose.” Twilight murmured before looking straight ahead. “...and what about Rainbow? I mean, she’s already a princess. She’s only really missing the horn.”

    Celestia closed her eyes in thought and hummed to herself a moment. “...I don’t know, to be honest. I would love to have my daughter join me and my sister with such an ascension. I can already imagine the wonders she could achieve with that kind of power…” Celestia opened her eyes and frowned. “But she is… reckless. She is overconfident and self centered and such qualities would be… immeasurably risky for her.”

    “Why’s that?” Twilight asked, suddenly feeling a little worried by Celestia’s very blunt assessment.

    “Being an Alicorn carries risks that no other pony must face. A duality of the mind, so to speak. The magic of an alicorn can manifest in terrifying ways if the pony cannot control their emotions… that is how Nightmare Moon was born, after all.”

    Twilight nodded slowly before looking down. “Right… well, I’ll keep you informed on how she’s doing,” she said with a wide smile. “I’m sure she’ll get the hang of her emotions in no time.”

    Celestia laughed outright at that before looking down at Twilight with a wide smile and tears in her eyes. “Oh… oh I am going to miss you two. You have influenced each other in so many ways… just then, speaking with such confidence on her behalf… you kind of sounded like her.”

    Twilight rolled her eyes. “You keep reminding us. We know.” she said before a yawn gradually left her. She stretched and looked up at Celestia with her eyelids slowly becoming heavier.

    Celestia smiled that warm, motherly smile that she gave everypony. “You’re tired, Twilight. And so is my daughter. I’m pretty sure she already retired for the night, to be honest. Why don’t you do the same? You’ve had a rough couple of days, after all.”

    Twilight nodded slightly. “Heh. you don’t need to tell me twice. Goodnight, Princess…” she yawned out before standing and turning to head back inside.

    “Oh! And Twilight?” Celestia called gently while standing to go. Twilight turned to her curiously. “...Take care of each other, won’t you?”

    Twilight grinned. “We were already planning on it.”

    Celestia nodded slowly before turning and stepping forth from the balcony, using her wings to slow her descent to the ground below. Twilight waved before stumbling inside and heading for her loft, where both of the beds were. Sure enough, Rainbow was already sacked out in one, snoring contently.

    Twilight looked charmed before swaying over to her own bed and climbing under the blankets for a good night’s sleep. For a moment, she lay there, letting sleep come for her.

    “That you, Twi?” Rainbow called drowsily from her bed.

    “Mmph.” Twilight replied into her pillow, a simple enough response.

    “...thanks for… you know… being my friend back in Canterlot. I… I really needed somepony like you when I go there.”

    Twilight’s smile softened and she closed her eyes. “You’re welcome, Rainbow… I’m happy I met you.”

    “Yeah… same.”

    “Goodnight, Rainbow Dash.”

    “Yeah… goodnight.”

    There they slept, in their new home in Ponyville, the celebration outside winding down until only the peaceful silence of the night remained.

    Over the years, they had caught little glimpses of the time that had come before. Now, sleeping in their beds, they smiled and dreamt of the time that waited for them just ahead.