Chapter 1
“Twilight, dear, you simply cannot let this opportunity pass you by!” Rarity said. She looked at Twilight, then glanced around the room. The nodding heads of the rest of her friends confirmed her opinion on the matter. “I understand that we’re all very close friends, but I think I speak for everypony when I say your research and your future is much too important to sacrifice just to be with us for a year.”
Twilight’s friends had all gathered at the library. They sat in a circle in the living room, discussing whether or not Twilight should go.
“She’s right, ya know,” Applejack added. “While Ah know we’ll all miss ya, you’re a princess now, and a princess’s gotta do what a princess’s gotta do. We kinda figured things would be different once ya became an alicorn, so Ah can’t say Ah’m surprised.”
Twilight glanced around at her friends. “So you girls all think it’s best that I do this?” she asked, “I-I’m just not sure I want to have to choose between my future and my friends, and that’s what this feels like. I know that Celestia means well and all, but something just doesn’t feel right about leaving Ponyville for so long.”
“Silly Twilight, it won’t be that long,” said Pinkie Pie. “Just think of how long Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash didn’t get to see each other after Fluttershy left flight school. Or how long Applejack spent away from her family. You’ll only be gone a year, and when you’re back, you’ll feel like you didn’t leave at all!”
Beside her, Fluttershy nodded. “I know you’re really worried about leaving us, Twilight, but you don’t have to be. Just think of it like a long research trip. Besides, we all understand. You never have to feel like you’re abandoning your friends just for something like this.”
“Alright, alright. I guess you all made your point,” Twilight said. She looked over to Rainbow Dash, noting that the pegasus had been unusually quiet during the meeting. “What about you, Rainbow? You haven’t said anything yet. It’s not like you to keep quiet.”
Rainbow Dash sighed, looking down at the ground. “Twilight, you should do this. I’ve just… I’ve just been thinking. Ever since we all became friends thanks to Twilight, we’ve always stuck together. Every time something‘s come between us, something bad happens.”
Applejack looked over to the Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus avoided her gaze. The room was silent for a moment as Applejack studied the pegasus. Noticing the awkward silence, the farmer decided to continue the conversation.
“Well Ah can’t say there won’t be a hole here while you’re gone,” she said, “but Ah think this really is for the best. We’re talking Twilight’s future and all. Ah just think if she doesn’t go do this she’d be shyin’ away from her job as a princess.”
“Besides,” Rarity said, “it’s not like we’re going to be totally in the dark. We’ll write to each other. We can all let you know what’s going on in Ponyville, and you can let us know how your studies are going. The trip to Canterlot isn’t all that long, after all, and we can always visit. I must say, it won’t be all that different from you not leaving at all!”
Twilight sat up, a small smile forming on her face. “Okay, okay, you win. It sounds like I don’t have much choice, do I? I guess we’re all on the same page. I’ll let Celestia know we’ve decided then,” she said. “I can take today and tomorrow to get ready, then leave the day after, I suppose.”
“The day after tomorrow? Then that means tomorrow we need to throw a party!” Pinkie shouted, “A Twilight’s-going-away-for-a-year party! And when you’re back we can have a Twilight-was-gone-and-now-she’s-back party! I can’t wait to start planning for that one. But the first one! I’ve gotta go start writing invitations right now!”
The earth pony dashed off, suddenly vanishing from view. Strangely, the door hadn’t even appeared to open, but Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, the other ponies started to get up.
“Well, Twilight, I’m glad we’ve come to a decision,” Rarity said, making her way for the door. “This is a big opportunity for you, and we would all be supportive if the same thing happened to any of the rest of us. I know a lot of thoughts must be going through your head right now. Just let me know if you need to talk about anything. My door’s always open for you.”
Twilight’s friends all started making their way out of the library. Unusually, however, Rainbow Dash was not the first one out the door. The pegasus skulked her way behind the rest of her friends, quietly walking with her head down. Twilight waited until the rest of her friends were outside already, then stopped Rainbow.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight asked. “You seemed like the only one who was really hesitant about the whole thing. Is there something you’re not saying?”
Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight then shook her head. “No, don’t worry about it,” she sighed. “It’s nothing, I’m just being selfish.”
She started back towards the door, trying to pretend nothing had just happened. Twilight raised an eyebrow as Rainbow walked, then ran over to the pegasus and stretched her wing out towards Rainbow Dash, stopping her once again.
“Wait, Rainbow. There’s definitely something you’re keeping to yourself. What is it, Rainbow? You can tell me about it.” She looked over at her. Their eyes met, and Twilight could sense of pain and unease coming from Rainbow’s expression that she had never seen in the flier before.
“You’re not gonna let me leave without telling you now, are you?” Rainbow said. “It’s not really about you guys.”
Seeing that Twilight seemed unsatisfied, the pegasus continued. “It’s just something I realized when you told us about this. You all have your whole futures planned out now. You’re going away. Why? Because your future is to be a ruler of Equestria. Pinkie’s got a promising career as a baker, and may even take over Sugarcube Corner once the Cakes retire, if the twins aren’t going to be running it. Rarity’s bound to end up somewhere like Manehattan with her fashion line becoming famous and all that. Who knows how long she’s going to even stay around? AJ’s already in charge of the farm and you see what it’s like for her. She barely has time for anything. And Fluttershy? She’ll never leave her animals; they make her so happy. You’re all living your dream lives, and I… I just feel like it’s starting to pull us all apart.”
“But, Rainbow, what about the Wonderbolts? What about your dreams?” Twilight asked, taken aback by the outpouring of emotions from Rainbow.
Rainbow’s eyes started to water. “Well, of course I’ll try out. I just don’t know what will happen if I don’t make it. I’m the only one stuck here without much to do. I know I’m managing the weather here but it just doesn’t fit me. I can’t see myself doing this forever. The rest of you are already doing what you plan to be doing for the rest of your lives every day. Me? I just nap and kick clouds and train, hoping for a spot on a team that every pegasus dreams about. And then if I don’t make the Wonderbolts? Where do I go? It’s starting to feel like it’ll just be a matter of time before we all stop hanging out with each other, when you all start saying you’re too busy to meet up, when we all start moving away from Ponyville, and then I’ll be the only one stuck here. I’ll just be going through the motions, not really liking what I do, with nothing to show for it. I—”
She paused, trying to keep the situation from escalating further.
“I’m being selfish, like I said,” she said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t really have anything to do with what you’re doing, and you should go study with Celestia. It’s definitely for the best.”
“Rainbow, don’t say this has nothing to do with me,” Twilight said, reaching her hoof over and bringing it around Rainbow’s back to pull her in for a hug. “Of course it has to do with me. It’s a problem you’re worried about, and since we’re friends, I’ll do anything I can to help you through it. That’s just what friends do.”
She stared the pegasus in the eyes and continued. “Look, you’ll go to the Wonderbolts tryouts this year, and you’ll make the team. Anypony who knows you can tell you that you’re good enough. You don’t have to worry. Also, we’re never going to stop hanging out. We’re friends, and true friends stick together no matter what.”
She let go. The two ponies separated, still looking back at each other. “Thanks, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “I guess I really needed that. We’ve both got a lot to think about, huh? I’ll see you at the party tomorrow.”
“Just remember, we’ll always be there for you, Rainbow, no matter what happens. Don’t you ever feel like you’re alone. I’ll see you at the party, too,” Twilight said, letting Rainbow make her way out the door.
As the last of her friends left the library, she felt the deafening silence descend upon her home, the weight of Rainbow’s words hanging down on her. She called Spike over.
“Hey, Spike,” she said, as the young dragon walked over her, “Can you take a letter?”
“Sure thing, Twilight. So you decided that you’re going, then?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess I’m going back to Canterlot,” she replied.
“I bet your old room is still the way it was when you left,” he said, pulling out a quill and parchment.
“We’ll see. Alright, are you ready?” she asked. Spike nodded to her, signaling her to begin the letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I had a talk with my friends, and while we are all worried about being apart for a while, we have decided that it would be best if I came back to study with you for a year. I am planning on leaving the day after tomorrow. I will see you soon, and we can talk more about what we will be doing once I get there. Thanks for giving me this opportunity; it really means a lot to me.
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Spike finished the letter, put down his quill, and incinerated the paper in dragonfire.
“Thanks, Spike. Now I guess we better go start packing,” she said. “Why don’t you go ahead and get started upstairs, and I’ll meet you there?”
Spike walked back out of the room, quickly climbing up the stairs and leaving Twilight alone in her living room. She thought back to what Rainbow had told her and sighed. I hope you’re wrong, she thought. I really hope you’re wrong.
She followed Spike up the stairs, ready to start packing her bags.
Twilight had spent most of the night as well as the next morning getting her things together. Everything needed to be cleaned up, as she knew that somepony needed to replace her as the librarian while she was gone. It wouldn’t do to leave anything in a mess when she handed over ownership of the library, after all. By the time the party was going to get started, she had packed up all of her personal belongings, as well as a bit of food and the personal effects she’d be needing for the next morning. Pinkie, of course, was over quite early in order to start setting up for the party.
The party was an extravagant affair. Ribbons and streamers were plastered all over the small library, leaving it in an almost unrecognizable state. From the ceiling hung a huge banner, “Goodbye Twilight!” written on it in big bubble letters, and music blared throughout the building.
The guests poured in. It seemed like all of Ponyville was there. The floor was packed, full of ponies dancing to the beat. As more and more ponies made their way in, it quickly became a massive undertaking to try to find any particular pony in the crowded building.
“Pinkie, are you sure it was a good idea to invite everypony in Ponyville?” Twilight shouted from the middle of the room, her voice almost drowned in the cacophony of music and chattering ponies.
“Of course, Twi! You’ve done so much for this town since you’ve been here, everypony knows you! And I can’t just throw a going away party for you and not invite everypony that knows you!” the party pony replied.
The crowd shuffled around rapidly, masses of bodies swarming around Twilight, everypony each trying to get a turn to say goodbye. First were Lyra and Bonbon, then the flower sisters, then Cheerilee, followed by the Apple family. On and on the ponies came and went, the crowd seemingly neverending. Eventually all the ponies started to just blur together, and even the ones Twilight knew well had started becoming indistinguishable from the rest. The fact that Twilight wasn’t quite feeling herself after several drinks probably didn’t help either. Pinkie was running all around the library delivering food and drinks to ponies, somehow managing to flow through the crowds as if they weren’t there. Fluttershy was sitting with Rarity, both adorned in hats and matching blue dresses, the two of them holding drinks and talking about what seemed to be upcoming trends in fashion. Applejack was with her family, who had agreed to provide the drinks and part of the food for the event, and would pop in every once in a while to check up on her friends.
Up in the air, Rainbow Dash fluttered around with a practiced ease, her movements synchronized with the sound of the music filling the library. Several ponies underneath her formed a circle to spectate the athlete’s show as they, too, danced in time with the rhythm. Twilight looked up at the pegasus, her concerns from the previous day seeming to have melted away as she was busy doing what she was great at. Twilight smiled, much of her anxiety from before having been eased as well.
The party went on late into the night. One by one, more and more ponies began to take their leave, many having to get up the next morning for work. Slowly, the crowds started to dissipate, leaving a trail of drunken ponies stumbling their way back home from the library. Soon, only Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie remained, everypony else having left. While Pinkie Pie scrambled around the library cleaning up the mess left in the wake of the party, Twilight walked by Applejack and Rainbow, who seemed in the middle of a heated discussion.
“Aw come on, Rainbow. Ah just can’t see why anypony would want to live a life like that. Ah deal with enough problems just keeping the farm together, Ah can’t honestly see how it would be better if Ah went off looking for trouble!” Applejack said, her voice projecting throughout the room. Both ponies seemed to be spurred on by their competitive natures as well as the alcohol.
“What’s this about, AJ?” Twilight asked, making her way over to the pair on unsteady knees.
“I was just talking about how awesome it would be to live Daring Do’s life,” Rainbow responded with a pout, avoiding Applejack’s gaze. “You’d love it too, wouldn’t you? Applejack here seems to think it would be too much work.”
“Ah did not say it would be too much work! Ah said there’s just no gosh darned reason to go looking for trouble. Ain’t that what Daring Do’s all about?” Applejack shouted. “Just think about all the crud you keep telling us Daring has to deal with in all of her books! Would you really want to live that kind of life?”
“Of course! Daring’s a hero! It’s awesome to be the hero!” Rainbow Dash responded, doing a flip in the air to show her excitement. She fluttered down unsteadily, struggling to land on her hooves without falling down. “Just think of all the excitement and adventure!”
“Calm down, girls,” Twilight said, still a bit wobbly. “Applejack has a point, Rainbow. I mean, if you really think about it, Daring Do does just kind of run out into places where nopony’s ever been before, and she never really knows what she’ll find there. It’s great to be a hero and all, but it doesn’t really seem worth it to me.”
“Psh, trying to do crazy things you’ve never done before is part of life. If you never do anything exciting, you’re not really living,” Rainbow responded.
Applejack glared over at her, not sure if she should be offended. She reasoned to herself that part of it was just the alcohol talking, and decided to not let herself get sucked in any more. “Well, Twilight, Ah guess Ah gotta head home. It was a great party. Ah’ll see y’all at the train station tomorrow.”
With that, she took her leave. Pinkie Pie quickly followed as she finished cleaning up the decorations. Rainbow was the last to leave, drunkenly stumbling out.
“I’ll see you girls tomorrow,” Twilight said, waving off the last of her friends. Once again, Rainbow’s parting words stuck themselves in Twilight’s mind. Putting yourself out there, not having any idea what you’ll find, hm? she thought. Is that really part of living? To just strive towards something new and mysterious, never really sure where you’re going and what you’ll find there?
She put her thoughts aside. Closing the door behind her, she made her way upstairs and into her bed, fatigue overtaking her.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky when Twilight awoke the next day. Once again, she woke up to the smell of Spike making breakfast downstairs, her head pounding from a small hangover. She heard the sounds of birds chirping from outside of her window, and buried herself back under the covers, trying to cover her ears to drown out the noise. Eventually, realizing she needed to be up, she climbed off the bed and onto her hooves and slowly walked over to the bathroom.
Making her way through her morning routine, Twilight felt a sense of anxiety overcome her. So this is it, she thought. This is probably the last time I’m going to be here for a while.
She sighed. Despite everything in her mind telling her that things would be alright, she couldn’t help but feel an emptiness gnawing at her from inside. Spike was busily flipping pancakes as she descended the stairs. She quietly walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, neither of them really wanting to speak.
“Morning, Spike,” she said, breaking the silence between the two. “Did you sleep well last night?”
“Actually, not really,” the dragon replied, “I was up all night thinking about what we’d be leaving behind here. Couldn’t really sleep. I’ve kinda gotten used to working here and helping out Rarity and all that, heh.”
Twilight was silent. Of course—Spike. I never even thought about all the things he’d be missing once we left Ponyville. They continued to not speak for a moment, then Twilight decided to break the silence.
“Spike… You know, if you would rather stay here, you could,” she said hesitantly. “I mean, somebody does need to be here to take care of the library, and you’re the one I trust the most with that. You spend a lot of time with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Rarity, so it’s not like I don’t trust you to be by yourself. You don’t have to come just for my sake.”
Spike remained quiet. He carried over breakfast for the two of them and set it on the table, looking at Twilight with a concerned expression.
“I thought of that, Twilight,” he said, “It was one of the first things I thought of last night. I know you can take care of yourself in Canterlot, and I know if I wanted to I could stay here and live by myself in the library. But I’m not going to. Even though I go out to hang out with other ponies once in a while, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be by your side. I’ve been your assistant as long as I can remember; I don’t see any reason to leave you now. Besides, it’s like your friends said yesterday—a year isn’t that long. We’ll be back before we know it.”
“Thanks, Spike,” she replied with a smile. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
The rest of the morning passed without much incident. Twilight had planned to leave for a morning train to Canterlot, dropping off the key to the library with Mayor Mare on the way. With bags in tow and Spike by her side, she stepped out the door of the library, locking it behind her, and made her way towards Town Hall.
If all of Ponyville had been at Twilight’s going away party last night, it didn’t show. The streets still bustled with the busy energy they always had as Twilight slowly made her way to Town Hall. She spotted the same bird she had seen the day before, feeding her chicks. Craning her neck over, she watched as the mother flew from tree to tree, picking seeds and acorns and bringing them back to the nest. Her flying was visibly strained, but Twilight could see she still made do as well as she could, her movements sudden and jerky, trying to spend as little time in the air as possible. It almost looked as if she was jumping from branch to branch.
Turning herself back onto the road, she continued her trek through the town. Many ponies stopped her on the way to get a last chance to say goodbye before she left. After dropping off the keys to the library with the Mayor and making sure that there would be a replacement librarian while she was gone, she made her way over to the station. Unsurprisingly, all her friends were there waiting for her, ready to see the alicorn off.
“Hey, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie shouted at her from the middle of the group. “So, how are you feeling today? Ready to go?”
Twilight smiled, seeing all her friends there to support her. “Yeah, Pinkie, I think I am. I’m feeling a lot better about it now than I was when I had you all over to talk about it, at least. You didn’t all have to come, though.”
“And miss seeing our best friend off when she’s moving away for a year?” Rarity said. “We wouldn’t think of it.”
They all sat down and chatted for the last few minutes before Twilight had to leave. Before they knew it, the train had arrived, prompting Twilight and Spike to get ready to board. They huddled together for a group hug as Twilight started to say her last goodbyes.
“I’ll visit when I can,” Twilight said to her friends, “Make sure not to have too much fun without me!”
“Don’t you worry none, we’ll all be here waitin’ for ya when ya get back,” Applejack said.
“Make sure to write, dear. We’re all counting on you to let us know how everything goes in Canterlot!” Rarity added.
“Ooh, you can just send it to me!” Pinkie shouted out. “Everypony comes by the bakery all the time. We can all meet up and read your letters together!”
“Just don’t forget us while you’re gone!” Fluttershy said with a smile. “You’ll be back here in no time!”
“Good luck in Canterlot, Twi,” Rainbow said, her magenta irises meeting Twilight’s eyes. “I’m sure everything will go great, for you and for all of us while you’re gone.”
They broke up the hug and let Twilight board the train just as it was taking off. Putting down her bags, she and Spike looked back at the group of mares waving at them as the train began to move. It was there that the weight of the situation really started to sink in. Twilight couldn’t help but cry as she looked back over to her friends. Twilight lifted her hoof and waved back as the group quickly disappeared into the distance.
Tears pouring down her face, and with the voices of her friends’ goodbyes playing over and over in her head, Twilight smiled.
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Take your time, love stories always will be like treading in thin ice. One wrong sentence and you will destroy the story. So no pressure
Thus far... Really enjoying the story... Its sad though in the beginning. But this also makes it conpelling... I can't wait to see what happens next in the story. Its going to be intersting...
I'm thinking about some out comes the story mite go though right now... I'm not sure if they will come true... But just the thoughts... Maybe something happens and RD don't get into the Bolts... And on a rainy night she shows up at Twi's bedroom window weaping... Oh man my heart just died a little inside...
Anyway Its a great story! Keep it up!
With each chapter, I love this story more and more. It's amazing how much it already pulls on the readers' heartstrings. Keep it up. I can't wait for the next chapter.
liking it so far, can't wait for the next chapter... no realy give it to us NOW, or later, you can't rush a righter, unless you want crappy stories, so take your time, quality over quantity, I always say.