Chasing Eternity.

by the frank

Prologue.

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...

Three hundred and twentyfour years ago, after princess Sunset Shimmers glorious return to Equestria and the final defeat of Queen Chrysalis, her royal highness Princess Celestia decided it was time to move on, and abdicated. She named Sunset Shimmer her heir and new princess of the Sun, and the year 1023 AB became Year 0 ANR in the new timeline. Three years later, her royal highness Princess Luna also decided it was time to step down, and transferred her connection to the moon and her duties to Princess Twilight Sparkle.

As new ruler, Princess Twilight decided it was time to settle down, and married the Unicorn Dame Rarity Belle, Fashionista Grandeur. Their love saga has been sung by many maws and have with some right been called "The greatest love story in Equestria". However, it ended in much bitterness as Dame Rarity died abruptly, although at the respectable age of 94, nevertheless leaving her people in shock and her wife in tears. A national week of grief was proclaimed, but it still took another year for Princess Twilight to appear in public. It is not strange, as Dame Rarity was the last of the Elements of harmony to pass, and also as her longtime companion Spike the Brave and Glorious went into hibernation, that it took considerable time for Princess Twilight to overcome her feelings of sorrow and grief.

Or at least, that's what everypony thought.

Canterlot Castle
Year 324 Anno Novus Regno
15 June, Saturday evening.

It had not been a particularly rough day, as Saturdays seldom were. Daycourt was only in session weekdays, but there were still numerous ponies requesting audiences, and there was as always the occational “spontaneous but friendly visit” from some of Equestrias neighbours. Today it had only been two audiences from Baltimare and a small delegation from Zebrica who only wanted to bring her tea, but princess Sunset Shimmer still had decided to excuse herself early. In the solitude of her facility, Sunset looked at herself in the mirror. Not youthful and smooth like a baby’s bottom, but not bad. She thought about her options for the evening. There WAS this new club… but no. Tea, and a glass of brandy. And then bed. Back in Sunset Shimmer's youth, Saturdays meant parties, time with friends and the occasional shindig. But youth is youth and middle age is middle age, especially when that youth is some hundred years back. She would choose the calm afternoon tea over a bar brawl anytime. Her friends nowadays felt the same anyway and the older she grew, the more comfortable was her bed. For once she was rather happy her consort was out to sea. Auntie needs some shut-eye, and naps are underrated anyway.

She had lowered the sun just half an hour earlier, giving way to a beautiful moon. However, she hadn’t seen her fellow ruler all day. She hadn’t payed it much attention, but now it stroke her as odd. Therefore she took the detour passing the Nightcourt on her way to her quarters. Princess Twilight held court almost every day of the week, at least for a couple of hours. Sunset stepped through the door that led into the courtroom, but to her surprise, there was no sign of Princess Twilight. There was the usual crowd, odd and as small as it usually was. There were also a couple of Night guards, and of course Twilight’s faithful secretary Parsnip in his usual place next to the throne with a scroll in front of him. But the throne was severely lacking an Alicorn. Sunset only stood there and stared, and it took a while until she realised that ponies were actually looking at her, murmuring. And then Parsnip noticed her, and began to trot towards her, greeting her in his usual manner.

“Oy, yer ‘ighness! Yer ‘ighness!”

Parsnip’s butchering of the Equestrian language in his hayrish dialect was something Sunset never would understand how TWILIGHT, the most pernickety pony of all, could stand. Nevertheless, she smiled with her best Celestial impercination.

“Good evening, Parsnip, guards, citizens. What seems to be the matter?”

“It’s a bogging nightmare! Ye see, we can’t seem to foind Princess Twilight anywere! And Nightcourt is bound to open now!”

Sunset raised her eyebrows slightly. “You can’t find her either? That’s strange…”

“Well, me greatest apologies, yer ‘ighness! But we’ve searched evryweer! ‘Er chambers, the garden, the observatory, the doughnut shop… she’s nowhere to be found!”

Sunset was silent, frowning. It was not at all like Twilight to play hookey, and even if she was ill, she dragged herself down to Nightcourt anyway and usually had to be locked up to relax. And Parsnip was probably right, they had searched everywhere. Except perhaps for… she thought. Suddenly remembering what day it was, she sighed. “No, Parsnip… not everywhere. I know where we can find her.” She sighed again. “However, I highly doubt that she will be of any particular use tonight. I will fill in for her, but court will have to be adjourned early. Then I will go and look for her. And do not worry, Parsnip. She will be back by dawn.

The middle aged thestral unicorn sighed with relief. “Why, that would be the dog's bollocks, yer ‘ighness! Really a marvelous luck that yer ‘appened to pass ’ere! There ain’t that many cases, the first is ‘bout a stallion who want’s to marry a haycart and the second is…”

Princess Sunset sighed and faked her most royal smile. Whiskey. Forget the tea.

***

Despite the unorthodox wedding plans, court had been quick and efficient, and had been adjourned after only one and a half hour, including tea break. She had politely refused Parsnip’s wish to join her, and so she found herself alone, trotting through the corridors of Canterlot Castle. She was heading for the southwest wing, the castle's most secluded area. Here was the royal treasury, Sunset's personal library of dark literature and… one more thing. Very few ponies came here, and only a small squadron of guards were allowed to work here. She turned around a corner and found herself facing a pair of large wooden gates, protected by three guards. One thestral, one pegasus and one unicorn. They had probably heard her hoofsteps, because they were all standing ready with their spears.

“Halt! Who’s the… Oh. I’m Sorry, your highness. Good evening.”

She smiled. “At ease, gentleponies. You’re only doing your job. I’m looking for Princess Twilight. Have you seen her?”

Immediately the guards eyes fell, looking in every direction but to Sunset. Once again she smiled, and put a reassuring hoof on the closets soldiers shoulder, which happened to be the unicorn. “She probably asked you to tell everypony asking that you hadn’t see her, am I right?” They nodded. “Well, no worries. I’ll make sure there won’t be any consequences for you. She’s in there, right?”

The stallion kept looking down, and finally said, with a low voice, “...yes. And if you permit me saying… she looked really, really sad.”

“I assumed as much, and I permit. I will talk to her. As you were, gentleponies. We will return soon.”

Sunset went through the gate and closed it behind her. The long corridor in front of her was decorated with leadlights in the richest colours. Here, the siege of canterlot. There, the sonic rainboom. Another depicted the defeat of Tirek, and another the definitive death of King Sombra.

The epitaphs that paved the way to a mausoleum. The memories of the Elements of harmony.

At the end of the corridor was a round and light room, with five marble coffins placed in a circular form in the middle. One space was open, and there, lying where her coffin might have been was Princess Twilight. She had been crying, Sunset could see, but now she lay as if she was sleeping. Sunset took a step, and spoke.

“I was surprised to not find you at night court, but then I remembered the date. How many years has it been?”

“319 years, five months, three days, ten hours and fifteen minutes since our wedding. And 263 years, two months, three days and two hours since she... left. Not that I’ve been counting.” Twilight spoke with a dull, tired voice. “I still remember the huff she made about her dress, and that I didn’t want to wear my crown at the wedding.”

Sunset sat down next to her.

“You.... I’m sorry. I always tend to forget how much you loved her.”

“She was my life, Sunset. I hate every day I have to spend without her.”

Sunset was going to say something, but found no words. She knew that Twilight was somewhat jealous of her. She had Adagio as her companion, with her long lifespan of a siren. Sure, Adagio spent most of her time in the sea… but she was there. Twilight had no one, and had never tried to replace Rarity. She always said she didn’t have time, but Sunset was convinced that she didn’t want to replace her.

The silence grew heavier on Sunset. She felt that the best she could do was to just be there, but... Twilight was so very low that... that seemed to little for her. So Sunset cleared her throat and spoke.

“I suppose it feels better here, with the remains of your friends. At least you have that part of her, that must be worth something.” Twilight muttered something. "And they were embalmed, so... if you want to, you can always just look at her."

Twilight muttered again. Sunset felt like a complete idiot now, she should stop talking, right now and leave her friend alone. But her mouth operated separately from the brain now. "Coming to think of it, I havent looked for a while. Want to join me?" Sunsets horn began to glow, and the lids opened all at once. Only now did Twilight react. "Sunset, no!"

But it was to late. She had seen. Five coffins. There should therefor be five bodies. But one casket was severly devoid of any corpse, and that was the one belonging to the former element of generosity.

“She isn’t here.” Sunsets mouth fell open. "She isn't... where is she?" She turned around to find Twilight staring at her, but not in anger. She was crying, and the tears filled her eyes almost completely.

“I don't know!"

"What?" Sunset stared at Twilight, then at the coffin, then at Twilight again. The latter once again screamed "I don't know!"and then she was gone. She had teleported, Celestia knew where. Sunset stared at the empy spot, then she closed the caskets and ran. She shouted "dismissed"to the surpriced guards, but she didn't find Twilight for the whole night. In the end, she fell asleep crying. But her tears were in shame.

---

When Sunset awoke, the sun was shining right in her eyes. She jumped out of bed, since she knew that meant it was past noon. She instantly froze. At her teatable next to her bed sat Twilight. Her eyes were red, but she smiled. Sunset felt a cold lump in her stomach. "Twilight, I'm so, SO sorry... It was all my fault. I shouldn't..." She was silenced by a hoof. "It's ok, Sunset. It's... more my fault than yours."

"Twilight, I was..."

"Sunset." Once again Twilights hoof were at her mouth. "Even if it was clumsy of you, it was I that kept a secret from my fellow ruler. I kept it from the only one who could understand, who deserved to know." Sunset opened her mouth again, but Twiligth continued. "Trust me. It's ok. I have been wanting to tell you for many years and always chickened out. I'm glad it's out, even if it hurts."

Sunset swallowed a few times, and spoke. "So... She is gone." Twilight nodded. "Not only is the casket empty... she has never been inside it?" Twilight nodded again. "But... but I was there! I saw it!" Twilight shook her head.

"Just an illusion. "

"But...why?"

"She died at the royal hospital. I was there when she died... then I went to arrange the funeral and when I came back... she was gone! The guards hadn't seen anything, and the undertaker had simply assumed she had been moved to the castle. She had vanished from the earth! I searched we searched, but… In the end, I decided to go through with everything to avoid a scandal and to get time to search. For over a year, I combed Equestria. Nothing. In the end... I gave up. The empty tomb was there as a remainder of my failure."

"But why didn't you tell me? Or the staff? We could have helped..."

"Because I was ASHAMED OF MYSELF, SUNSET!" Once again she began to cry. “Don't you see, Iwas the worst wife in the world! I couldn’t keep her alive, and even dead, I couldn’t even secure her body! I suck as a wife! I miss her so much and I don’t even know where she is buried, if she is buried and not eaten be timberwolves or diamond dogs or… And the only reason I go here is to remind myself what a stupid pony I am, and that I never must forgive myself and...”

The words ended in a stream of tears. Sunset’s mouth finally began to work again. “Oh, Poor Twilight… I’m so sorry... I didn't know…”

“How could you? Nopony knows. Nopony but me. I don’t want Equestria to know what a failure I am.” She lowered her head.

“Twilight…” Sunset took a step closer, and put her wings around Twilight. They stood that way for some minutes, and the Sunset whispered.

“What...happened? If you’re okay talking about it, that is.”

Twilight sighed. “Not much to say, that's the worst part. Even if I knew how bad her health was, it still came so sudden... You were with me in Griffonia that day, you remember my reactions I think." Sunset nodded. "Well, I went home as soon as I heard the news. I saw her only once. She looked so...peaceful, like she was only sleeping. I... I don't remember what I did, or how long I stayed. I do remember my guard tapping me on the shoulder to raise the moon... I left shortly after that. I wanted to stay, but I had my duties... and a funeral to attend. But they were so kind to me and then... "

"And then?"

"I turned around in the doorway. You know what? I was hoping it all had been a joke and that she would sit up and look at me. Stupid, I know. I had one final look at her. And then… she was gone.”

“Gone?”

“Gone. Not a trace. I had guards posted outside, and they had orders only to let the doctors and the undertaker to pass. Dr. Hospis was the last one to see her, at 23.45 that night. I read his journal, " She quickly added, "probably more than a hundred times. 'body checked at 23.45. Early signs of Rigor Mortis. Everything is well.' And that was the last time. No traces. No open windows, nothing. It was as she had turned into smoke. I searched, my guard searched but… nothing. Oh, Celestia, t was so embarrassing. I had my guard to swear secrecy, and the undertaker... he made a nice retirement fund from that one fake funeral."

Sunset looked at her. "To buy time. "

"Yes. And to avoid questions. And when these ones-” Twilight pointed at the stone coffins “-were made, I personally moved the empty coffin so that nopony would notice.”

Sunset was crying with Twilight now. “Oh, Twilight…”

“All I want, Sunset… is to know. To know what happened so I... . And then... if I know, I wouldn't feel so ashamed. And then, perhaps I could get some peace.”

Sunset stayed with Twilight and stroke her mane. If only there was something to do. But this was close to require a miracle, and even alicorns had trouble with those.

Author's Note:

This is marked comedy, and now you think "not much comedy here, mate"?
Ah, but this is just the prologue! Go ahead to the next chapter! It will be much more fun.

Comments

[The Weaver]

“Oy, yer ‘ighness! Yer ‘ighness!”

Ah... how I love that accent. Parsnip is such a treasure.