//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Sunset of Time 
// by Albi 
//------------------------------//

All the Difference



She was floating. She had no physical form; she simply was, if only just. Something was trying to erase her, like she was no more than a drawing. But she didn’t want to leave. A desire inside her, a feeling deep within her fading form told her to hold on.

Yes, she could remember something. It was faint and distorted in a way, but she knew the feeling. It was warm and inviting and loving. Gentle waves of its power washed over her and pulled her back.

Darkness appeared. She was no longer alone in this void. It was cold and angry; its own malicious waves crashed against her, disrupting the serene harmony. The cold creeped over her, bringing back horrible feelings and memories. Death, hatred, power…

But she wasn’t that being anymore. She was her own being. She was separate.

She was light.

Her light pushed the darkness away and pulled Harmony closer to her. Faces drifted in the aether, friendly and familiar. They circled around her, forming a protective ring and pushing the cold away. She was getting stronger; names were coming back to add to the faces.

There was Luna and Spike. Applejack and Fluttershy. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Ruby and Flora and her mom and dad. There was Celestia.

And from the darkness, she felt something stronger than hatred or anger. She felt regret and sadness. In the abyss, the darkness wailed a slow and painful cry.

She reached out and consoled it against her better judgement. The darkness had tried to kill her after all. But she knew someone would be proud of her—someone important.

With a push of her will, she sent a wave of light over the darkness, sharing the feelings of her memories. Joy, hope, faith, love. Bright emotions circled the both of them, driving away the negativity until, within the darkness, she could see a small speck of light.

The darkness halted the wave. She could feel it floating upwards to something beyond. It stumbled back a few times, like something was dragging it back down. Then the darkness released a burst of heat, completely driving the cold away. It drifted up, higher and higher, the light at its center glowing a little brighter.

As it vanished, she heard two soft words. They were not spoken, but felt like the rest of her memories.

“Thank… you…”

There was only light now. Her light. And her will. She still was; the erasing had stopped. But something was missing—a very important piece of her. One more name to one more face. She could remember the soft caress of her wings, her crystalline laugh, her enthusiasm from teaching.

And a promise. There was a promise that needed to be kept. Yes, she would see all of her friends again! She would not fade away, she would not sit in this abyss, she would continue! A spark of magic coursed through her.

All around her, she could hear them giving her encouragement, cheering her name. Her own name. She had forgotten that too. But it wasn’t her name that mattered—it was the other name. The one that had always believed in her, even when she couldn’t believe in herself. She reached for it. It was the key; the last thing she needed to remember.

“Twi… Twilight… Twilight Sparkle. Princess!”

Hope. More than a friend, more than a princess, Twilight was her hope.

The warm magic burned white-hot and began to take form. She felt herself grow less aware, but more real. Little by little, bit by bit, she returned, her soul burning brighter than ever.

A foal’s cry echoed throughout the room…






The sun rose through the window in front of Princess Twilight Sparkle as she lay curled on a large pillow in her study. She had been up an hour ago so she could enjoy the sunrise. She loved watching the dark of night and the new light of day mix and mingle before one completely took over.

She took a sip of her morning tea, then returned to her book when the last pink of the dawn faded. She guessed she still had about an hour before she had to get ready for the day. The page of her book turned as she sighed. All she had to look forward to today was court sessions and paperwork.

On the table behind her sat two large, empty bowls. A few hours ago, they had contained massive amounts of ice cream, courtesy of Pinkie Pie.

Twilight chuckled, remembering last night. Storytelling and ice cream, one of her favorite activities to do with her faithful student. She was surprised they had managed to finish it all. Of course, they had both conked out five minutes after the bowls were empty. Twilight mused over the fact she wasn’t in an ice cream coma.

Something shifted under her wing and let out a small snort.

Well, one of us might be in one.

Twilight continued to read with a smile on her face for the remainder of the hour. She was snatched from her peace and relaxation when one of the guards pounded on her door, reminding her that court began in forty-five minutes.

The lump under her wing moved again. As much as Twilight wanted to sit there and enjoy the moment, she knew it was time for both of them to get up. She pulled her wing back, revealing a bed head of crimson and gold hair, along with bleary teal eyes.

“Good morning, Princess.”

Twilight leaned down and nuzzled her young student’s neck. “Good morning, Sunset.”




The End