Cry for Eternity

by asylum1388


Chapter 12

A/N: The name of "Ivy Touch" was decided on after no small amount of help from dmwcool1, who's BraeDash fic, Enceinte, is among my personal favorites. That being said, you're much more likely to get ahold of her on her dA account.

I'd also like to apologize for the delay, f0x lost power and his workload got massively backed up. He's alright though; he jumped right back into things and we're back on track. In the meantime, we picked up Reignbow before we knew what was going on with f0x, just in case we weren't able to get ahold of him. We're still discussing the future, so I'll keep you updated about that.

Editor: Pissfer
Pre-readers: PiquoPie, f0xhole, and Reignbow.


Twenty-six days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Luna!”

“Mmm?”

“Wake up!”

“Sorry, Applejack!” the sleepy princess gasped as her once drooping eyelids snapped open.

“Much better,” Twilight giggled. “So you’re absolutely sure that you have enough cider left over for the gala?”

“Positive, we stored a few extra last year. Normally we finish off the last barrel the week before Winter Wrap-Up, but we weren’t able to polish off all of it this year. We’ve still got a few sittin in the cellar, ‘n’ it’s a might bit warmer down there now than it’s supposed to be when yer storing cider,” Applejack chuckled. “Honestly, I would’ve dumped them out, but the thought of servin’ it to some unexpectin’ nobles is too funny. I wonder if they’ll still act all proper and stuck-up when they’re so sloshed that they can’t see straight.”

“I never would’ve thought I’d see you pulling pranks, AJ. Sounds like Rainbow’s starting to rub off on you,” Twilight teased.

“Yeah, yeah... I’d prefer you didn’t tell her that,” the earth pony snickered back. “To be honest, Ah don’t think they’ll drink any of it. Remember what they thought of my pies?”

“They’ll drink it if nopony tells them what it is. They may act like they have really refined palates, but I’m pretty sure that most of them will think it’s some new kind of champagne,” Twilight murmured mischievously, eliciting a snort from Applejack as she burst into a fit of giggles.

“Anyway, if you think that somepony will enjoy some extra-hard cider, Ah can oblige,” Applejack replied confidently.

“I do. Just make sure to mark the barrels. It’s fun to laugh about getting them all drunk, but the last thing I want to do is have to send anypony to the hospital because they didn’t know how strong it really was,” Twilight grumbled.

“Agreed. Better be safe than sorry,” Applejack grunted with a nod. “Luna!”

“Sorry.”

“Dangit, if you fall asleep one more time, Ah’m not gonna be so polite about how I wake you,” Applejack scolded jokingly.

“I’m trying! If you were to suddenly attempt to adopt a nocturnal lifestyle, I doubt you would do as well as I am now,” Luna complained.

“Well maybe you should start contributing to the conversation. It might help keep you stimulated,” Twilight snickered.

“A fair point, what were we talking about?” Luna yawned.

“The Gala.”

Luna took a moment to shoot an unamused glare at Applejack before addressing Twilight again. “What part of the Gala specifically were we discussing?”

“Well, Applejack and I were talking about that ‘special’ cider she’s been holding on to, but we’ve pretty much exhausted that topic,” Twilight recounted. “The only thing that’s left is to finally decide which one of us is going to greet the guests.”

“Oh, not this again!” Luna moaned. “I already told you that I wasn’t doing it. That was always Celestia’s thing. You’re her successor, you should do it.”

“And I already told you no!” Twilight snapped. “This past month has been the worst of my life, and I refuse to spend a potentially relaxing evening saying ‘It’s lovely to see you’ to the same ponies who’ve been making me so miserable.”

At this point, Applejack, who had been glancing between the two as if following a rapid tennis match, leaned in between them. “What if both of y’all greeted them? Like make two separate lines so ya can just get it over ‘n’ done with.”

“That wouldn’t help,” Luna mumbled. “I saw the line last year, we could have two lines going constantly all night and still not make it through them all... What if we stood together? At least we’d have time to socialize.”

“No, that’s what I tried with Celestia last time. We barely got the chance to say two words to each other,” Twilight moped. “What if... what if we didn’t do it at all?”

“What?” Luna stammered, frowning at Twilight questioningly. “That wouldn’t go over well. There will be some very important guests there whose only purpose for attending will be to see us. If we—”

“Just hear me out,” Twilight said, cutting Luna off. “What if we just gave a general greeting at the beginning, then after that, we went over to the VIP section and greeted anypony— errr, any guest, rather, since I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a few dignitaries there... Anyway, we greet the important guests, then we... I don’t know... mingle?”

“That’s it? We just mingle?” Luna muttered hesitantly.

“Well, yeah!” Twilight chirped. “After everything that’s happened, I figure we both deserve some time to enjoy ourselves.” She smiled encouragingly, pleased to see a tiny smirk cross Luna’s lips in return.

“I suppose...”

“Hey! We could even invite my— our friends,” Twilight added excitedly.

“Woah there, Twilight. Hold on a second. Ah said Ah’d provide the cider, but showin’ up is a different story,” Applejack interjected. “Especially considering how last time turned out.”

“Okay, yes last time was awful, but we learned our lesson,” Twilight retorted. “If all of you come, and we spend the night together, I think we’ll actually have fun. I’ll even make sure to get you VIP tickets so that you can go anywhere you want if the group splits up for a bit.”

“Okay, that does sound better, but that raises another problem,” Applejack sighed. “Only a certain number of those VIP tickets are made, so if you give ‘em to us, some primpy rich pony won’t get them. And before y’all go sayin’ ‘who cares what they think’, keep in mind that y’all were just complainin’ about how miserable they were makin’ ya. If ya annoy them, they’ll probably just get worse.”

“It’s all in how you spin it, AJ!” Twilight giggled dismissively. “As long as the tickets go to somepony important, then they can’t get angry without looking selfish. So instead of presenting you as ‘my friend, Applejack the farmpony’, we present you as ‘my friend, Applejack, manager and co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres’.”

“Okay, well that’d work for me. But what about Pinkie Pie? Or Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asserted. “Dash’s position at the academy isn’t exactly prominent enough to warrant her being made a VIP, and Pinkie doesn’t even have that!”

“Oh, yeah... And after the ruckus she caused last time, they’ll want something a little more solid than ‘she’s my friend’ for me to justify giving her a VIP ticket,” Twilight grumbled, quietly cursing the judgemental wretches. “Wait a minute... what if we made the five of you the guests of honor?”

Applejack gaped at her for a moment before speaking. “Okay, this Ah gotta hear. How in the world would you pull that off?”

“Easily, I think,” Twilight murmured thoughtfully. “We make the whole theme of the Gala to be the Elements of Harmony! It’s perfect. How many times have we used them to save Equestria?”

“Only twice, actually,” Applejack quipped. “And Ah’m not comfortable makin’ all of us the centerpieces of the Gala; you’ll just end up with a bunch of ponies jealous of the attention we’re getting.”

“That’s not what I meant. On either account,” Twilight groaned. “I was referring to the number of times our friendships have helped us to save Equestria. Our friendships are all based on the concepts behind the Elements, not the Elements themselves. And it was those friendships, our loyalty to each other, our honesty with each other, and such that allowed us to pull together in the worst of times to overcome whatever got thrown at us.”

“Ah get what you’re saying,” Applejack grinned. “Since Equestria’s still a little shaken up from losin’ Celestia, you wanta use the Gala to remind everypony to be kind, generous, ‘n’ such.”

“Exactly!” Twilight squealed. “By showcasing the Elements, not only will we be putting on an example for the rest of Equestria, but it gives me a reason to invite all five of you!”

“Ye’ll be clearin’ two trees with one buck!”

“Err, yeah. If that’s the way you want to look at it,” Twilight chuckled. “I’ll have Quill-Pen get six tickets for you before you go back. That way you can go home with good news and presents for everypony!”

“Ah like the sound of that!” Applejack laughed. “Wait, six? ...Oh right, Spike.”

“Well yeah,” Twilight muttered, suddenly unsure of her decision. “I figure that way he can, well, you know...”

“Go if he decides to forgive ya?”

“Yeah,” Twilight murmured. “So can you..?”

“Hold onto his ticket so that he doesn’t do somethin’ stupid like rip it up? Yeah, Ah’ve gotcha covered,” Applejack affirmed proudly.

“Thanks. I owe you one,” Twilight replied with a grin. The pair smiled at each other in silence for a moment. “One more thing, though,” she chuckled, pointing to the snoozing Luna.

Applejack stared at the former Night Princess incredulously before reaching across the table for a pitcher of water.

“Woah, that’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” Twilight snickered.

Applejack shook her head as she hefted the overflowing vessel above her head. “Nah. Ah warned ‘er fair ‘n’ square.”


The next morning, Twilight stood in the palace gardens as the pleasantly tepid spring air of the cloudless Saturday morning blew through her mane. Unfortunately, despite her serene surroundings, Twilight could only think of one thing; she was nervous.

One week ago, she had, as promised, visited little Sunshower at the Cafe in downtown Canterlot. She had spent most of the morning answering every question the excited little filly could come up with. Twilight had enjoyed herself so much that she had, on a whim, invited her young new friend up to the castle, instead of meeting her in the Cafe. Now, she was regretting her decision.

“Your tremulousness does you no credit, Twilight,” Luna sighed.

“But what if she’s so overwhelmed by the castle that she can’t even talk to me?” Twilight moaned. “If she’s too scared to do anything, then she won’t enjoy herself here; and if she doesn’t enjoy herself here, she might not want to see me again.”

“So, let me get this straight: you are nervous that she’ll be nervous?” Luna snickered.

“It sounds stupid, when you put it that way,” Twilight grumbled.

“Because it is stupid. If I am to understand the stories correctly, being invited up to a castle by a princess is any young filly’s dream come true,” Luna responded. “And from what you’ve told me about your previous visit, I would think that she will simply be overjoyed to see you again.”

“I guess so... It looks like we’re about to find out though,” Twilight giggled as she spotted a familiar yellow-orange blur appear on the far end of the garden, closely followed by a breathless earth pony.

Sunshower skidded to a stop right in front of Twilight, copper eyes alight with wonder. “It’s so big! Princess, you have a garden that’s bigger than my house! I think it’s bigger than all the houses on my street put together!” she squealed, bouncing in place.

“Princess, she trampled your lisianthus and I’m so sorry!” her mother wheezed. “I tried to stop her, but she was too far ahead of me. Please accept my apologies and please understand that she’s just a filly—”

“She trampled what?” Twilight interrupted, completely clueless as to what the mare was talking about.

“Your lisianthus! It’s a grasslands flower that grows in subtropical regions. I will gladly pay for the damage, but it may take me a few months to come up with the money.”

“Errr, no, that’s okay...” Twilight muttered. “I didn’t even know we had, umm... that. I’ll just have the gardener fix it later.” Snickering to herself, she tapped on Sunshower’s shoulder, redirecting the filly’s attention from one of the garden’s giant willow trees. “So, would you like a tour?”

“Yes! Yesyesyesyes!”

“Okay, okay! Follow me,” Twilight giggled, leading her exuberant companion deeper into the garden.

Luna cautiously stepped up to Sunshower’s mother and cleared her throat to catch the mare’s attention. “You are a florist down in the city, are you not?” she murmured as they watched the younger pair disappear around a nearby hedgerow.

“I-I... Yes, Y-Your Highness. How did you know?” she whimpered, trembling visibly.

“I believe your daughter stated as such last we met,” Luna stated plainly. “I am surprised that you are not more excited. I would imagine that spending even the shortest time in the Canterlot Gardens would be the greatest moment in any florist’s life.”

“Yes, Your Highness, I suppose it would be, but it’s a bit hard for me to enjoy myself at the moment. There’s something on my mind,” she stuttered.

“You are worried,” Luna asserted. “It seems to me that you are confused about your daughter’s strange new friendship, this bewilderment is making you afraid, and that fear is preventing you from enjoying what would otherwise be a truly memorable day.”

“That’s... yes... yes, Your Highness.”

“Walk with me,” Luna replied. “I feel as if some explaining is in order, so let us start with your name.”

“What? Oh, my name is Ivy Touch.”

“Ivy Touch. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Luna replied cheerfully. “You may call me ‘Luna’. Or, if you are uncomfortable with that, simply ‘Princess’ will do. The title, ‘Your Highness’ is a bit cumbersome for idle conversation, is it not?”

“Erm, very well, Princess.”

“Now, onto business. I am interested to know the basis for your fear,” Luna proclaimed pointedly. “And before we begin, know that you need not be afraid. Nothing you say to me will reach Princess Twilight, and neither will I punish you for mere words, especially when I am directly asking for them.”

Ivy glanced at Luna hesitantly, but wouldn’t meet the Princess’ gaze. “It’s... I’m just afraid for my daughter. I’ve heard about all the apprentices that Princess Celestia took during her lifetime, but Sunshower’s not a unicorn. I’m just concerned for her well-being. What if—”

“Let me ask you something,” Luna interrupted softly. “Have you noticed any changes in your daughter since she first spoke with Twilight?”

“Well, yes. Before we ran into Your Highnesses at that restaurant, she was shy and a bit antisocial. She would usually come right home from school and help me in the shop,” Ivy sighed as she admired a neatly-trimmed shrub. “Now she’s acting much differently. Her grades have picked up, she smiles more often, and her teacher has told me that she’s actually socializing with the other foals.”

“So it would seem that her behavior, and indeed her general ‘well-being’ has actually benefited from meeting her ‘favorite’ princess,” Luna chuckled, moving past a bed overflowing with tall orange flowers. “So, where is this anxiety of yours coming from?”

“I don’t understand why a Princess would be so interested in a pegasus, and I can’t stop wondering what Princess Twilight hopes to gain from her. I just find it difficult to believe that a princess would spend time with a young filly out of the goodness of her heart,” Ivy explained, stumbling over her words. “Sunshower’s all I have. I can’t lose her.”

“Hmmm... While Twilight Sparkle is undoubtedly among the kindest, and most generous, ponies I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, I do not think that her interest in Sunshower is entirely selfless,” Luna murmured. She glanced at her companion and quickly continued when she noticed the horrified expression crossing the mare’s face. “Twilight’s motives are entirely benign, I assure you; I just do not think that she is doing this entirely for Sunshower’s benefit. Besides, I doubt she’s ready to take on an apprentice yet anyway.”

“Then why?” Ivy whined exasperatedly, more to herself than Luna.

“I cannot say for certain, but I do have a theory,” Luna replied quietly. “If you are willing to hear it.”

“Please. I haven’t slept in days,” she groaned, before remembering who she was speaking to. “Umm, Your Hig— err, Princess.”

Luna giggled at the mare’s stuttering before speaking. “Before I start, tell me how much you know about Twilight. What kind of things are they saying about her out in the city?”

“Well... I’ve heard a lot of things from a lot of ponies, both good and bad. It’s hard to sort through what’s real and what’s just propaganda,” Ivy confessed, pawing tepidly at the ground.

“I see. In that case let me clear things up for you,” Luna stated with a righteous nod. “While everything the palace has released so far has been spun to display Twilight in a positive light, I have seen to it that they are all factually accurate, down to the last detail. Twilight was Celestia’s star pupil, she and her friends have saved Equestria multiple times, and Celestia did ask to see Twilight in her final moments... Twilight Sparkle was the last pony Celestia saw before passing away, as Celestia had wanted it to be.”

“Okay... Well, what about everything else? The things the papers and magazines all say? Or the things you hear on the street?” Ivy muttered anxiously, obviously having a few specific examples in mind.

“From what I have seen, they are mostly either incorrect, or outright lies meant to slander,” Luna growled menacingly. “However, because some do contain slivers of truth, such things must be evaluated on an individual basis. If there are any rumors that you hold a particular concern for, I will gladly discuss them.”

“I-I appreciate that, Princess! I am honored that you—” Ivy began, but stopped herself when Luna gave her an annoyed frown. “Erm, yes... One thing that has been troubling me is how she ascended to the throne. She was the last pony to see Celestia alive, then we find out that Celestia declared her to be her successor? I don’t believe any of the filthy rumors saying that she was behind Princess Celestia’s passing, but I admit that it it does seem a bit, well... convenient?”

“This happenstance has been causing no small amount of trouble, and your doubts are understandable,” Luna sighed with a shake of her head. “Fortunately for us all, they are also unfounded. Celestia told me of her choice of heir directly and left a myriad of documents outlining said choice. And to tell a state secret: Twilight did not want to become princess. I feel she only accepted out of a desire to see Celestia’s dying wishes fulfilled, and perhaps a small sense of duty to Equestria.”

“I see,” Ivy muttered, frowning thoughtfully at the new information. “That is... comforting, I suppose. I have also been told that she’s a recluse. Several ponies have come forward saying that she doesn’t care about anything beyond whatever book she is reading.”

“That was true at one time, but no longer. I would also state that that is a rather-mean spirited assessment of the situation,” Luna replied softly, stopping to inspect a large rhododendron bush.

“I didn’t really believe that one, actually,” Ivy nodded. “I confess that I only asked about that one because I had no idea where something like that could come from. On the other hoof, one that actually concerns me are the rumors that she may be, umm, crazy? No! Wait, that’s not what I meant! I meant there are stories of her reacting irrationally when things don’t go her way. Oh no...”

“Cease your panicking, and I will answer you,” Luna grumbled, quickly tiring of the mare’s tiptoeing. “Those rumors are true, but only in the sense that both Twilight and I are, despite all of our power, still ponies. We make mistakes, and when we do, we get scared and panic, just like everypony else. The only difference is that our mistakes are magnified. I very much doubt that I need to tell you the story of Nightmare Moon.”

“No, no you don’t...” Ivy cringed, perking up as they rounded the next hedgerow to see Twilight and Sunshower reclining under a large oak tree, both giggling loudly. “So were they really that close? Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia, I mean.”

“They were. Twilight stood at Celestia’s side for well over half of her life, and I can state with complete certainty that she would have continued to do so until her own dying day if she could have,” Luna remarked proudly.

“So was she really—”

“Twilight is not, and never was Celestia’s illegitimate daughter!” Luna snapped, causing her guest to recoil. “I apologize for my outburst, but I have long regretted not having that pitiful excuse for a ‘reporter’ arrested for his claim.”

“I-I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said... I—” Ivy stammered, bowing as low as she could manage.

“Be calm. You have nothing to fear here. I am still adjusting to my new lifestyle, and I let my exhaustion get the best of me. I apologize,” Luna cooed, mentally berating herself for losing her temper. “But to continue, if I had to put a label on their relationship, I would put Twilight’s place in Celestia’s heart somewhere between a personal student, a best friend, and an adopted daughter.”

“I... That’s... Why are you telling me all this?” Ivy simpered. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with Sunshower.”

“I simply would like you to understand Twilight Sparkle the pony, instead of Twilight Sparkle the Princess, so that you can understand why she’s taken a liking to your daughter,” Luna replied carefully. “The only way I can think of to describe Twilight in the days immediately following Celestia’s passing is that she was a broken pony. The pony who she cared about most, the pony whom she spent her every waking hour trying to please, was suddenly gone. She was lost, frightened and terribly confused. Despite her outward appearance, these feelings extended long after she was crowned. I believe that little Sunshower is helping her find her old self.”

“You—you’re saying that my daughter is helping the Princess of Equestria? My daughter who I was scolding yesterday for eating paste, is ... I have a hard time believing that.”

“I have been the recipient of the unbounded admiration of a foal, and I can tell you that it is a truly powerful thing,” Luna smirked. “Days, or even weeks, of tirelessly working with the most abusive, most frustrating ponies in Equestria on some inconsequential piece of legislation can be made all worthwhile by a single word. The expression of awe and adoration that a filly wears when meeting her favorite princess for the first, second, or even hundredth time can wash away even the sharpest despair.”

Ivy stared at Luna quizzically for a moment before speaking slowly and deliberately. “So what you’re saying is that I, for the good of Equestria—”

“I am not saying anything,” Luna inserted. “You are trying to decide whether to allow your daughter to continue spending time with Twilight, this much is obvious to me. I am simply giving you all of the information, so that you may make your decision armed with facts, instead of rumors and fear.” Luna turned to the mare and leaned in close, whispering. “I will not ask you to allow them to continue, as I cannot in good faith ask anypony to put their foal in what they believe is harm’s way. I can promise you, however, that you have nothing to fear, no matter your choice.”

Luna glanced towards the subjects of their conversation before continuing. “The improvements to your daughter’s behavior that you have professed to are all signs of an increase in her level of self-confidence. It is no stretch to believe that her newfound spirit is directly related to meeting and gaining the friendship of an idol. If you allow her to continue her friendship with Twilight, I can almost guarantee that she will continue to improve. However, if, after this conversation, you are still uncomfortable with the idea, you have nothing to fear from that decision either.”

“I... I don’t?” Ivy stuttered, dumbstruck by Luna’s words.

“You don’t. In addition to all of the other things I’ve told you, Twilight is among the most intelligent ponies in history. If you request that she not see your daughter again, she will understand your reasoning and respect your decision,” Luna replied gravely. “I swear it.”

“The way you talk about her... It’s almost as if...”

“Almost as if what?” Luna growled.

“Nothing!” she replied quickly. As the wind carried a high-pitched laugh over to the pair, they turned to look back at the oak tree where Twilight and Sunshower still sat. “I... Thank you, Princess, for speaking to me. I think I’ll be able to rest easy tonight.”

“In that case, I take it you’ve made a decision?” Luna snickered.

“I think so... I admit I’m still a bit skeptical, but I can’t deny that Sunshower is much happier now than she was two weeks ago.” She turned to Luna with a nervous smile on her face. “If spending time with a princess is what makes her happy, who am I to say no?”


Fluttershy felt awful for her tardiness, but it couldn’t have been helped. Angel had gotten into a disagreement with Mr. Bear, and she had to sort everything out before she left. Unfortunately Angel was being particularly stubborn today, which actually wasn’t any different than any other day, come to think of it. Still, calming things down had taken a little longer than normal, so she had missed her train and had had to take the next one.

Now she was running late. She hoped that Twilight wouldn’t be too angry with her. Well, she knew that Twilight wouldn’t actually be angry, just maybe a little worried...

She quickened her pace as the thought crossed her mind. She didn’t want to make Twilight any more upset than she already had, and reaching her as soon as possible would definitely help with that.

She lowered her head slightly as she trotted past yet another pair of stone-faced guards, entering the corridor that lead to Twilight’s bedroom. She was almost there. Finally she reached Twilight’s door, slightly perplexed by the lack of guards standing watch over their princess. She lifted a hoof to push the door open when she was stopped dead by a loud sob echoing from within.

Oh no...

She slowly pushed the door open and peeked in. “Twilight..? Twilight, I’m sorry for being late.”

No response... More worried than ever before, she slowly pushed through the door. Twilight was facing away from the door, face down in her bed sheets. As a fresh wave of wails permeated the room, Fluttershy took a few careful steps forward, only to leap backwards as she felt something crumble beneath her hoof.

She glanced down at the unfurled scroll carefully before stepping towards it. The floor was littered with them. “Twilight? What are all these?” She leaned down and picked up the nearest one, reading it over carefully.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend, Fluttershy, who convinced him to go....

“Twilight, this is the letter you wrote Princess Celestia after we climbed that mountain to get rid of that dragon,” she gasped. She turned to the next closest one, scooped it up, and began reading aloud:

Dear Princess Celestia,

When you first sent me to Ponyville, I didn't know anything about friendship. I met somepony tonight who was having the same problem - your sister, Princess Luna!

Mystified, she glanced around. Every one of the scrolls was made of the same material, and each bore an identical seal. “Twilight are these all...? What happened?”

“Luna s-said she kept her favorite heirloom, h-her most treasured p-possession, in her nightstand,” Twilight cried. “She kept them right where she could read them as she was falling asleep. Right where they could comfort her when the pain got too much to handle...”

As Fluttershy realized the source of Twilight’s distress, the weight of her friend’s misery hit her. Not knowing what else to do, she climbed onto Twilight’s bed and tenderly hugged the crying princess.

“Why did she have to leave me, Fluttershy? I wasn’t ready for her to go! I still need her here...”

“Oh, Twilight...”