//------------------------------//
// Dialogue: The Meaning of Time 
// Story: A Circle Has No End: Volume I 
// by Gladi Writes 
//------------------------------//





As I reach the age of 500 years, I realize that I have become greedy, and that my time in this mortal realm must end. Years pass as if weeks, days become too small to even quantify, and I think in scales so large that entire generations have passed without me noticing. I can barely keep up relationships with the younger members of society, for they think in terms almost alien to me. I have been here too long, far too long, and it's about time I depart.
Goodbye, Equestria, may the Pax Equestria last beyond my years, and may the sun shine ever brighter.




Star Swirl the Bearded, 427 After Harmony. He would perish two weeks after writing this in his journal, succumbing to hemlock tea. As per his will, he was cremated and the ashes spread in the ocean.



First Class arrived at Celestia's office as she always did, around ten minutes after her Princess had risen the sun. She was rather groggy, having had a strange dream last night. Adding to the strangeness was the fact it shared something in common with her husband- the appearance of Celestia's alter-ego Solar Flare chasing after her sister. Wildcard had described it quite well- despite the fact that he had never seen or known of Solar Flare- so how exactly did he know what she looked like? First Class knew, from reading the histories that were kept from the public at large.

Opening the doors, with a cart of breakfast ahead of her, the first thing First Class noticed was the mud tracked in on the carpet, the second being finding to her surprise that this mud led right to the Princess of the Sun, and specks of it littered her normally spotless mane. The fur on her knees had been worn right off, leaving a reddish mark of raw skin.

"Princess Celestia!" First Class exclaimed, abandoning her cart near the door, and quickly coming to her side.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Celestia turned from reading some book, and smiled at her.

"I'm fine dear, don't worry about me," She said.

"But your knee, that can't be comfortable," First Class noted.

"Don't worry, I won't notice," Celestia said.

First Class felt a lesson coming on. "You.. won't notice?" She asked.

Celestia nodded. "Breakfast first, then the news, and then today's lesson," She instructed.

First Class brought the cart back over, and laid out breakfast. She always brought herself something, Celestia had been rather talkative lately. Perhaps it was a way to relieve the stress of the war, perhaps she just felt drawn to be motherly- Princess Twilight was going off on her own now, so that energy focused itself on her assistant.

Whatever the reason, First Class certainly appreciated these talks. Not every pony got to learn from the wisest, oldest, leader in their history. One whom had saved them from more threats than could be counted. First Class was getting to the point where she basically ran the civilian government too- although that basically just meant keeping the nobles quiet now with Luna's new laws.

She took her preferred pillow, and laid it beside Celestia. Flopping herself down on it, the morning began. Breakfast was muffins and tea, bran muffins to be precise. Despite her magic being able to cure almost any ailment, Celestia always kept herself at peak health.

She could probably use a little less cake though. Celestia was perfectly in shape... now, but how she kept herself that way was beyond First Class to know. More then a thousand years old, and perpetually an attractive fourty. Her sister aimed for somewhere around thirty if First Class was guessing right. 

"Well there's breakfast," First Class said, taking one of the muffins for herself.

"There it is indeed, what news do we have today?"

First Class reached up and took her notepad off the cart. "Spitfire reports that Waylay should be taken by the end of the week- again. General Pike requests, quote 'an armoured vehicle capable of firing from a position of impenetrable defense'. General Masse reports another attack on the south position, remarking that the changelings are "seemingly unaware of the true danger they are in, and fighting as if the result doesn't matter"." She said, and put it back on the cart.

Celestia frowned, biting into her own muffin. "More has happened in day then in a hundred years," She noted.

"What of your husband? if I understand correctly he's heading south today," Celestia asked.

First Class nodded. "Queen Luna's orders, I suppose he'll be fine, but I worry about that queen of his," She said.

Celestia laughed. "She should be worried about him. I didn't sign up for this alliance to strengthen her- I did it so I could bring her down from the inside. Your husband will accomplish this, and I'm willing to bet he'll pull it off by the end of the year," She said.

"Twilight was right that she was evil, but she can't just be assaulted head on. National change needs to come from within, and from what I've seen it's already started. Her time is drawing to a close," Celestia added. First Class noted how oddly dark it was for her to think like that.

First Class glared at her. "So he's just a tool to you too? I thought you were better then that," She accused.

"Just a tool? No. I've let him see the light, and learn the truth. He'll take that truth and bring it to his people, hopefully bringing them a better future. Don't be so easily angered, he knows the game as well as I," Celestia returned.

Her assistant sighed, gazing deeply into her half eaten breakfast. "I'm sorry, it's just that I worry. So much has happened, so much is going to happen, and I can't help but wonder if we're all going to come out of it in one piece," She lamented.

Celestia spread a wing over her, smiling warmly to sooth her soul. Which worked quite well.

"Don't worry, he'll be safe- and so will you," she said.

"Thank you, I hope you're right," First Class said, finishing her muffin.

"I know I'm right, and with that- it's time to get down to business," Celestia said.

"Tell me, how long is a day?" Celestia asked.

First Class considered her answer. "One cycle of the sun, and one cycle of the moon," she said. 24 hours seemed to obvious.

"Clever, avoiding the obvious answer. However I need to think subjectively. How long does a day feel, to you?" Celestia asked.

Her assistant considered again. "Long, but not as long as it seemed when I was younger," She said.

Celestia grinned. Her assistant had gotten sharp over the years, impressively so.

"Exactly, now take this logic a step further- what will a day be to you in another decade?" Celestia asked.

"Shorter."

"Another century?"

"Even shorter."

"Good. Now the same logic applies to weeks, months, years, centuries, etcetera. When you were a child, how long did an hour seem?" Celestia asked.

"Rather long, I was an impatient filly," First class replied.

"We all were. But now an hour is nothing to you, right?" Celestia asked. First Class nodded in return.

"A year is nothing to me," Celestia said.

First Class began to understand the point. "That's why you couldn't adapt fast enough when the war happened, it must have been like waking up and finding the world upside down," She said. 

	Very sharp.

"I'm glad you understand. I've gotten used to thinking in terms of decades, or even centuries. I had been subtly trying to give parliament power for five hundred years, nobody even noticed it had been so slow. I was planning on having elections in a century or so, but I might have to move that forward," Celestia said.

"When the war came around, I was still stumbling around worrying about whether or not the next generation would have enough food, since the Crystal Empire had melted several glaciers in it's return. That means that in thirty years some of the rivers will run dry, and we'll have to build new aquaducts. I was also planning on raising a half percent tax to pay for this, with construction starting in two decades," She continued, sipping at her tea in the pauses.

"I was born 1500 years ago, First. When I was born we all lived in mud huts at the mercy of Discord. The Zebra empire was a single city, Saddle Arabia controlled most of the world, the griffons were primitive tribals, and ponies barely lived to be fourty in general. When we overthrew discord that all changed, and for four hundred years we built Equestria out of the chaos. I watched the Zebra Empire grow and gnaw at the faltering Saddle Arabian provinces, the independent states go through a hundred kings- all falling to their own hubris, and the griffons advance. Wars then took the better part of a decade to fight, and took years to build up. It was easier then, now everything moves so quickly. Technology, I never saw technology coming. It's going to lead us into a future that I can't handle- I'm simply too old."

"Luna doesn't seem to have this problem, she's adapted quite well," First Class noted.

"She spent a thousand years in lunar stasis, give her time- she's only five years younger then me," Celestia returned.

"This is why you need Twilight, she's younger and can see the trees- when all you can see is the forest," First Class noted.

Celestia at this point was unable to hid her glee at her assistant. She was probably the best she had ever had.

"Exactly! This is also why I've taken you as my assistant, normally it's an eldery pony of state that takes the job, since there really isn't much to it in peacetime. When I saw you lose your position at the Wonderbolts though, I knew I had to have you," Celestia said, squeezing her assistant under her wing.

First Class glanced around, there was something on her mind now that she desperately wanted to ask- but she gravely feared the answer being negative. 

	Eh, buck it.

"Can pegasi be alicorns?" She asked, Celestia spitting out her tea at the question.

"I... yes," Celestia admitted.

"That's not... hold on and let me collect my thoughts- this was quite unexpected," she said.

A moment later she cleared her throat.

"Okay, so, alicorns. The reason I, my sister, Cadence, and Twilight were gifted our wings is because we proved ourselves to be worthy of not only great magical power, but also proved that we can use that power- for good. While I'm not disputing that you're an incredibly smart young mare- if I gave you a horn you would have all the affinity of a toddler. It took Twilight twenty years of nearly non-stop studying on top of her already incredible natural talent to develop her magic- the wings are really just a bonus. Flight is true freedom, a feeling beyond any other, and if I could give all my subjects wings I could. But I can't, it would disrupt the balance. So instead I am able to give it to those that prove themselves ahead of the rest." Celestia explained.

First Class was about to speak, but was hushed by a raised hoof.

"A Millennia or so years ago we had a famine that came from an unpredictable weather change- from a volcano. During this crisis, to lift the spirits of my subjects, every Hearths Warming Eve I had 'the exchange'" she said.

"The exchange?" First Class asked.

"I allowed my subjects to choose their own destiny, and for one year they could experience life as whatever they chose- pegasus, earth pony, or unicorn. Most of them asked for a reversal. There was one important pony that didn't," she said.

"Who?" First Class asked, greatly intrigued.

"Star Swirl the Bearded, originally an earth pony. He had an insatiable thirst for philosophical knowledge, and used magic to continue his life so he could ponder the greater mysteries of the universe. In the end, I think he regretted it," Celestia said.

"So you're denying me, by telling me I'll learn to regret it. Just say it Princess- tell me I can't be an alicorn," First Class said, frustrated at the response.

"But you can, study magic for twenty years and I will certainly see to it you get your wings," Celestia said.

"I ne... oh," First Class figured it out, the bargain.

	Give up your wings now, study magic, and get them back once you had proven yourself. 

"I can't give up my wings, flying is... it's too wonderful a feeling, I suppose I understand though, you can't be seen to play favourites, not without some serious reason. Twilight certainly earned her place, " First Class said, and slumped as the reality hit her.

Celestia sighed, and glanced around.

"I'll make you a deal. There is a way to study magic without a horn, at a cost," Celestia said.

First Class's head immediately shot back up, looking up at Celestia with wonderment.

"There is?" She asked.

Celestia nodded.

"All ponies use magic, but it takes a horn to control magic. I can teach you how to understand, to learn, magic- but you would have to give up your pegasus powers. Weather control and flight are your element, if you accept this you would become much less able to fly, and unable to ever control the weather again," Celestia explained.

"You would in effect be a hornless unicorn with wings, and be starting at the bottom with magic studies" she added.

"So... I could learn magic, but not actually control it? How would I know if I was learning it properly?" First Class asked.

"Star Swirl's staff. You can use it to control magic. At much greater difficulty then an actual unicorn, but it would provide a way to do so," Celestia said. "He is the one that discovered this, a few years before asking for a proper horn," she added.

"Do you know where it is?" First Class asked.

"I can give it to you, yes, but you must accept the consequences that come with this choice. You will be a pegasus no longer- not in the proper sense. You must also keep this a secret, although I suppose your husband can keep it just as well as I," Celestia replied.

First Class was relieved at that, she didn't enjoy the prospect of keeping secrets from Wildcard.

"So?" Celestia asked.

"I accept," First Class replied.

Celestia grinned. "Good, but it will take me a few days to prepare. It's not easy to do this. Come to me in three days, and until then you can change your mind," she said.

"I've never been part of the weather team, I was fired from the wonderbolts, and I married a changeling- whom does have a horn and wings of his own. I don't think I will," First Class said, excited now at the prospects awaiting her.

"Good, now I believe..." Celestia started, and got up from her muddy pillow.

"... that you have a room to clean," She said, and strode off for the door.

First Class was so taken by the idea of magic that she didn't even care. She fell back into her pillow and let it wash over her.

"First Class- Almosticorn," She giggled.

Wildcard would go crazy when he found out about this, she thought.

Celestia left her assistant in the room, delighted by their exchange. A great grin was on her face- she was so close to finally completing what had started so long ago. Princess Twilight Sparkle was set to become a great leader, but every great leader needed a great book keeper. Somepony to keep track of the finer details, which although Twilight was good at- she fretted over things that a leader really shouldn't worry about. Twilight needed to see the forest.

First Class would see the trees.