//------------------------------//
// The Visit 
// Story: The Last Student 
// by Tofazz 
//------------------------------//


Twilight Sparkle was surprised by her teacher, Princess Celestia.

Normally, she would not come to visit, and neither would she keep it silent.

Something was not right about the whole situation; Celestia seemed tired. Her mane, usually so bright and colorful, had started to fade, small shades of gray breaking the vivid flow of her mane. Her white, majestic fur was becoming ghostly.

Twilight was perplexed by the sight of her teacher.

Twilight led the princess up to the library. Spike was out for a trip with Rarity, so the library was completely empty.

Somehow an empty library seemed fitting, considering the visual Celestia emitted. The library was still messy after the last study session Twilight had. Books lay in every corner and a single lit candle sat on the table. The library itself seemed pale, with small sources of light hitting the floor through the gaps of the closed drapes. It was becoming late. The crickets had started to gather for their nightly round of chirping.

They sat down around the table in the middle of the room. Twilight looked at the Princess in an attempt to achieve eye contact, but the Princess just stared at the candle on the other table.

After a while Twilight managed to ask. “Is there something wrong, Princess Celestia? You don’t normally visit out of the blue, like this.”

As the Princess turned towards her, Twilight saw how hollow her look was. Almost as if the princess stared right past her. It sent shivers down the small unicorn’s spine. Neither did the princess smile. Celestia said the next sentence without emotion.

“My dear Twilight, you have always been my most faithful and loving student... I have enjoyed being your teacher since you were just a filly. The time we have shared have been truly fantastic.”

The Princess took a pause after those words, staring out the window, staying completely silent.

The little unicorn had no idea what those words meant; her mind raced over all possible reasons, but could not find any. Her stomach tied up in a knot, but she had to ask.

“Princess, why are you telling me this? Did I do something wrong?”

The alicorn just shook her head. As she turned towards her, Twilight saw that her Princess was crying. “Twilight Sparkle...” Celestia halted her sentence, sighing to make sure her voice did not break. “Our time together is over.”

Those words stopped time; the little unicorn had no idea how she should respond. Before she got her head together to ask one of the thousands questions she had for her Princess, Celestia broke the silence.

“I’m afraid our time is over, Twilight. You have always been faithful, but it is time to cut our bonds. I want one more report from you: in exactly six months you will come to my castle, alone, and deliver your final report on what you have learned under my study, and what the magic of friendship has taught you.”

Before Twilight could react, Celestia was on her way downstairs. As the stairs let go of a creak, twilight snapped out of the shock and ran after Celestia.

Twilight reached the first floor just in time to see Celestia leaving.

Her guards were standing outside waiting as usual, but something was different about them. They were motionless, as normal, but they wore black armor with white capes. As Celestia was stepping onto her wagon, Twilight noticed that it was black and white, as well, unlike the normal golden wagon she always had on her trips outside Canterlot. As the fog started to emerge from the Everfree forest, it became clear to Twilight that Celestia was serious.

The twilight hour brought with it a ghostly chill. Twilight could also hear the nocturnal predator slinking between the trees around them, and a few branches gave off eerie creaks. Celestia turned towards her former student, she stared past her with a cold hollow gaze.

“Twilight... if you ever go to Canterlot, do not attempt to contact me. I do not wish to see you until the six months have passed.”

With those words, the Princess flew away.

Twilight could not do anything other than to sit down and look at the carriage taking her Princess away.

She was not sure how long she had been sitting there, but when she came to, the fog from Everfree forest had completely engulfed the village. She just now noticed that the fog was so thick that she could barely see the village; all she could see was a few dim lights of the few ponies the apparently still were up.

When she went back into the library, she noticed that the light had gone out, leaving bitter wisps to coil in the air. Twilight sat down for a bit and thought over what the visit meant. After a short time, she decided to follow Celestia’s instructions and ask her after the six months had passed.

After all, there was a reason she was... had been her most faithful student.