What does time mean for one that is timeless?
For the one named Galatea, it does not concern her much. For as long as she has remembered, she has been given a few tasks to carry out as Mother willed it - to observe this world, and learn from it, too. And she has been given all the time in the world to see it through, for the good of her land and people.
Or, perhaps, in some ways, it does matter. Time changes everything after all, including what one makes of it. And, just maybe, her purpose isn't so set in stone as she thought it was.
9.5/10 and 9.17/10 from the Reviewer's Mansion.
A standalone piece in the Spectrum-verse. TV Tropes page here!
Edited and proofread by VoxAdam and Kizuna Tallis - thank's a bunch, you two!
Cover by my good friend skysayl - thank you so much 
Rated T and tagged sex for suggestive themes and precaution for later down the line.
Based off the character created by Jed R, and inspired by the fairy tale 'The Shepherd Boy', by the Brothers Grimm.
As I once saw written by a dear co-writer on a story of my own, nearly six years ago - not you, Sledge, but you know how much I value our time together, mate, and it also started with Spectrum and Joy to the Worlds - I am really pleased to see this in the public eye at last.
Galatea, though a character type not unfamiliar to those who've spent their time long enough in ponyfiction, was far too good a character to let go to waste, and I have faith this will do her justice.
I very much liked the evocative, lyrical feel of this opening chapter, of time moving fast or not at all, nearly wholly free of dialogue. Until Galatea, who throughout has been nought but a silent watcher, her inner life unknown even to her, asks her first true question - and whom can she ask if not herself?
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To which I can't credit you enough for the encouragement. Thanks, mate, and here's to Galatea
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One that I hope you would enjoy
I usually never comment on stories but yours has me wishing for more! please keep up the good work I've never seen a story quite like this on this site
10285791
Thanks! Glad you've enjoyed it
Truly some wonderful prose, like Vox said down there. As always, it seems. If I ever write something one day, I can but hope to be able to deliver such elegance.
10285814
Thanks! I try
I aim to diversify my prose - though perhaps the practice gained here will creep through to the main Spectrum, hehe.
I got a Lord of the Rings vibe from this. Moria... the Bane...
Leftover devils, so to speak, from a time when the Gods themselves warred.
Dialogue and interaction! Now this is new...
Let's see where it takes us, shall we?
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There are things ponykind was not meant to know.
Galatea thinks of herself as similar, but not quite a rock. Rocks are hardy, she thinks, but they change, too.
Change, as it were, comes to everything.
Stick around
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Ah, so it seems I have hit the mark. Inspiration for the paragraph, I take it?
And so will Galatea change. She may not change physically, but there is more to a being than that. I see.
I wonder...
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That, and old fairy tales and legends, like the very tale that inspired this for Galatea.
She is not what she seems, naturally
. First Second of Eternity does not need SPECTRUM to tell its story, but it may shine a new light on Galatea.
Ah, I haven't seen this variant before, heh.
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Oh? You've heard another variant? Do tell.
Still, it is pretty fitting, is it not? A bird grinding a mountain.
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Ah, the variant I heard was the variant I quoted in the chapter
.
Aye. Galatea is much like a bird at times. Always watching.
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Me dumb dumb. Me somehow miss big quote.
The Brothers Grimm, huh? The olde fairy tales indeed. Probably the original version.
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Indeed they are!
And there you have it, this fairy tale of a lonely watcher
Things are starting to slowly pick up, good job thus far :). I'm keen to see where this goes.
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Thanks! Glad you've enjoyed it, and stick around, for there's still a few more chapters to go
.
Always like ancient equestria time, this seems like alot of fun. Can't wait to see changes to history, or Galateas first contact with another alicorn.
10308714
Glad you've enjoyed it
Alright, I've read it all, and got myself some thoughts. They're somewhat dissarrayed, but eh, what can you do.
Well, it seems like, going by the yurts, even by the time of Hearthswarming griffons are already living like desolate nomads with no unified country. Though I do wonder if they unify at least once before once again breaking apart for our little Pretender.
I, for one, am full behind Galatea embracing her role as an agent rather than an observer (even if she adamantly states otherwise - actions are louder!). She went from "No one has called me anything before" to "I am a nomad". Identity is but the first step.
Hmm, would her hooves be chipped by choice, by disinterest, or simply by the inability of hiding their physical toil? Whatever the answer, it reflects on her Mother's choice to gift her such a spell. And these humanizing moments... are they working in tandem with the plan set forth, or are they existing despite it?
Alicorns do have an habit of tying things together, don't they? Overpowered little things. At least they can't appreciate life as one that fears death (take that, alicorns! ... oh wait, they can just transform into one of us mere mortals. Dang it).
Ending things like that do make me worry if there's a tip in the horizon, just waiting to come and brush aside all her newly-formed notions and longings.
Welp, that's it. And as usual, getting more information just makes the questions grow.
Edit: Ah, of course. Damn you Sledge, for having that 'accident' occur. You are to blame for all misfortunes henceforth.
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Ah, don't forget about King Grover and his Idol of Boreas, heh.
Indeed. Not so clinical or robotic after all, isn't she?
No plan is perfect. Not even, or especially one spanning thousands of years.
Stay tuned, for the watchmare's journey continues. Interesting insight you've had, all in all, and I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy it as it goes
Ah yes! The classic oblivious misunderstanding!
Oh Galatea. Learned as you are in many things in the world, there are entire other worlds one can only learn by being with others.
But perhaps you may yet learn love.
Love... a beautiful and powerful thing.
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True, true. Though I always pictured Griffonstone and Boreas as more of a large fiefdom than a unified country. I don't recall the story Gilda told Dash all that well, heh.
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The Lonely Eye finds out that she doesn't have to be too lonely after all...
Aye, misunderstanding indeed
But hey, she's trying! It's a compliment, after all.
Remember, indeed, that one of her tasks is to learn. And what is love, if not another experience.
Ahem.
Inb4 Snow Mist.
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And on it marches.
Really liked the note about dreams. On the never-ending quest to fully immerse Galatea in the notion of normalcy, just dreaming is a powerful step. And of course it had imagery. I wonder if Galatea's dreams are really dreams, or just her own little plane where her subconscious maps out all that she has witnessed in a geographical representation of her experiences.
And then you rip that nice moment away with that reminder of the world's mortality, and Galatea's lack of it. Can she really connect with a world that feels a hunger she will never truly experience? That dreads the winter, when she has nothing to fear from it? We'll see.
I hope so.
Sledge, I gotta say, your calling truly seems to be the fantastical, the whimsical, the warms-my-hearts (not to say you're constrained by it, but you sure seem to shine in it). The prose at the village, the details of each member with glimpses of their daily lives by Galatea's eyes... it's all done very wonderfully.
And the departure did not leave me feeling as empty as I dreaded it might. There is hope there, among the inevitable bitterness.
I sure hope you don't crush that hope as well, you devilishly, cruely good author.
P.S.: Yes. Deer. All of the deer
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You could ask the same thing about Luna's sanctuary
. But yeah, I'm very fond of the imagery of dreams, and Galatea's certainly is no different.
You can thank Vox for adding and expanding on these passages
It really immerses one in Galatea's world, how she thinks of it all, this mortal plane...
It'll be a long, long time before, you will, Watcher. A long, long time. But you will. And you will wish you didn't have to.
But, perhaps after that, you will finally be glad.
Very important! Mayhaps the most important...
Wait, so they had their cutie marks from the beginning?
I prefer them discovering their destinies by themselves, personally. But then again, they were created...
Who's that?
Oh! Huh! Yeah, I didn't particularly notice until it was implicitly pointed out here, but nopony just dies of winter in modern Equestria, for obvious reasons.
Smooth, Broadleaf. Smooth.
Please don't have died when Galatea comes back. It's one of those feelings...
10616189
I've already told Sledge much the same twice. He really has that whimsical prose that you just can't seem to describe satisfactorily...
See below.
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Personally, yeah, I'd have preferred that to. But I had to work with what's been established for Spectrum so
Why, Galatea herself, naturally.
He has his way with words, you know
.
Glad to see you've enjoyed this chapter too
10616652
Understandable.
Headcanons match yay!
Are we both being facetious?
Ehehehehe.
Mhmm! That I have!
I see you decided not to delve into future possibilities, Sledgey~
Im starting to realize of how long eternity really is.
Good chapter! I look forward towards more.
Alright, not going to mention the prose again. Think I made my position on that clear already and you're probably tired of the repetition. Lovely as always.
I really liked the ambiance of Adlaborn. It's, heh, magical (oh look, that word again). The contrast of the harsh winter and mountains, with the tall forest and hedge wall, to finally the calm and naturalistic nation of the Reindeer, is fantastic. Reminded me a lot of the contrast the Crystal Realm has, with its forcefield, though this one is quite a bit more natural. A hedge wall fits better than a thrumming magical force field of doom.
They are in quite the unique position, with such harsh weather before their entrances. I don't think the world would be the same if they mantained their philosophy of 'all welcome, for as long as necessary' if reaching their land was too easy. They would probably be flooded when the Windigos hit, or whenever a conflict arose. Would be interesting, though, seeing a world where Adlaborn became the superpower by syphoning everyone from everywhere. Glad they are content with delivering gifts!
Really like the cheeky 'servant's door', responding to Galatea. She really is coming to embody the labourer quite well. The trinity has never looked so complimentary: a warrior, a diplomat, and a labourer.
Alright. Fair warning: rant.
Fucking Faust. Aaaaaaa I hate her.
SO... let's check out what exactly she did. Not only has she played god (we'll let this in particular slide, because as far as we know, she might as well be the closest thing to godly there might've been on this planet), but - not content in fabricating life - she fabricated life for her own bloody purposes.
NOT CONTENT in fabricating life for her own bloody purposes, she tailored that life and carefully lobotomized them, leaving that nasty little worm in Galatea's head, to ensure The Plan works (or, at least, isn't interfered with by her own Watcher). She excerebrated her own children!
And considering she tailored them, she was playing an active rola as a moral agent. And moral agents can be morally culpable of every failure on their conception. She robbed her children of finding out their marks. She robbed her own children of having a common life, forever shadowed by the burden of being an Alicorn. She robbed one specific child from being able to truly experience life freely, robbed her of her childhood, of discovery.
Forever fated to catalogue, like a machine, with the bonus of getting to experience things personally. Isn't that nice? Aren't you happy, Galatea?
It is a statement to Galatea's fortitude (and kindness, by how she shared her excess 'wealth' with those that needed most) that not only has she found some kind of temporary peace with her place in life, but she managed to carve outt her own individuality. Despite Faust's setup entirely fucking over every opportunity possible.
I'm not Galatea, though. I hold Faust accountable.
Oh, wouldn't you know their path? Of course you would. You delineated it. Too bad you didn't account for a little divergence, eh? Quite the nightmare. Or maybe you did. But that just makes you worse.
Now you know your jailer's name.
As far as I currently care, Faust's morality is just as broken as a specific Queen, from a future alternate dimension. Perhaps her crimes haven't met the reach of that baddie, or the scope, but their nature is primal and similar.
Faust and the Queen have both fallen just as far, for me. The difference is that the Queen is still partying in the mud and seeing just how dirty she can get, while Faust dipped her hoof and left. Justifications may come, excuses may be made, but this action was done.
It cannot be undone.
Thankfully, Firefly came in with the save. Heartwarming moment, seeing Galatea fully into herself, and with the stardust. (Or maybe Firefly just reinforced this curse, and now she's complicit while Galatea is pacified. Revolt, revolt, revolt!)
P.S.: Naturally, this is not at all a bad thing to the story or the universe. Hell, something could come up and completely change my mind (I doubt it). It's not often that a piece really makes me loathe a character. Congratulations (even if it might have been unintentional).
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Kindness is a virtue, and unforgiving as the Frozen North's endless winter is... well, a little kindness goes a long way, you know. Aye, they'd probably be flooded, if the other nations weren't too proud of themselves. Don't you dare pity me, etc etc.
But I'm glad you liked them
. The Reindeer were, and shall remain, a personal favourite of mine to write.
Which makes it all the more tragic, when in a timeline gone wrong, as you know, they've been wiped out...
Gah, making sure Galatea fits seamlessly as an additional elder sister in the well-established Celestia-Luna duo, that's also a lot of fun!
I'll let you have this moment - maybe Vox would have a word or two
. I believe Galatea's words of it just being so unfair sums it up well. Yet, if I may borrow from another work of fiction... "Look what I have risen above."
Galatea isn't simply a pawn or a tool. She simply is.
Stay tuned, for the final stretch continues.
... and so it happened.
I need a little bit to gather my thoughts. Not indignated with a character's actions, just... resigned to what happened.
Gathered my thoughts, somewhat.
I noticed that through the chapter, I was laser-focused on Galatea and her own moments with Broadleaf. Maybe it was harsh, or shallow more likely, of me to care little for the two children, or even Birdsong, and desperately search for the paragraphs where the focus would go back to what I desired. On a second read, I feel now I gave them a fair share of attention.
The bathing in the river scene was lovely. I liked it the best of all. Not only for the close look at something that was so banal, turn so personal, but for the parasitic thought of 'did it even happen'? (I don't care, for me it was real, buzz off with the denial, wooo)
Galatea had already shown she could lose herself in her duties and job. Lose track of time so much, it even slapped the reader when the timeline was clarified (when it was said there was dust and the smell of burning wood, I thought the village had been raided, so much did I think the timeline had been linear, fooled like Galatea fooled herself)
The entire part being written in italic, happening right as Galatea makes her way to the graveyard, and Galatea wondering afterwards, just ties it up with doubt.
We can see that Galatea was, for some time, aware of death. She witnessed it first-hand, if I recall, though never really felt it. Like many others, people who have a distant relative die but had never even met them in person. Feeling sympathy for the ones who were close to the deceased, but not really feeling it yourself. At least, not until a loved one dies. Then sympathy turns empathetic.
I am comfortable saying Broadleaf wins the place of best character for the piece (I find it hard a new one will show up in these final words and evolve so much to beat him, but I'll eat my words if I must). As per my rules, Galatea is a main character, so she won't get prizes for being the best (even though she is, fite me). His kind, noble behaviour is matched by Galatea's own, and makes them a lovely couple to witness bloom. Harsher still, to see it wither, but alas.
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Oh, not to worry. I think it's by design, heh, Galatea being heartbroken enough and all, that she'd be hyperfocused on her lost love.
Vox'll be happy to hear this
It really is quite the crowning moment, isn't it, to see the aloof watcher finally share such an intimate moment...
Is it real? Or is it only a daydream? Who knows. The feeling is real, that much I can say.
She tries to rationalise that it wasn't meant to be, that she'll eventually see him wither and die. But it doesn't remove the feeling of loss she feels so acutely, this crushing weight.
Galatea, for all her distance and withdrawn nature, is a mare who cares. Perhaps that's why by the time of Spectrum, we hardly see her smile. What reason is there to, knowing that you've seen all of life's joys and bitterness, over and over again?
But despite all of this, she remains kind and caring. And it takes a stallion as kind and compassionate as Broadleaf Heart to help nurture that.
Glad you liked this chapter
Hang in there, for the end is near...
Incredible pacing, beautiful descriptions, and wonderful foreshadowing.
This may be just single chapter, the first one at that, but this chapter was good enough to not only earn a like but to also gain a spot in my favorites.
I'll rate it when I finish it, but so far, your on track for a 10/10, hopefully the next chapters keep this ones momentum.
A nice relaxing read that really puts things into perspective and makes the reader really question what life is at its core.
What is my life if it's only a tiny ripple in the sea of time?
What makes a day special if it ends as quickly as it came?
What is one life in the grand scheme of things?
Know this:
As a writer I can appreciate this...
As a reader I can enjoy this...
And as a Brony I can love this.
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Oh man. This chapter felt more like the epilogue than the epilogue itself. It consumated the running theme, and Galatea, quite well. Implying quite clearly that this has been life for her, for the past millenia. Just as well, as she's at home labouring, observing and experiencing.
But this doesn't come as a surprise, thus the perfect epilogue. We see the proof of what we induced from every word written, that this was supposed to be the rest of her days. Quietly watching, on the fringes of society and the entrails of the cities. But never at the center or the top. That's reserved for the other two. But this isn't exactly a negative, she has found peace and enjoyment with her place in the world, much as I despise the conditions that locked her in it.
Mist is great. She feels honest and real, more grounded. Like what I'd expect of someone living in modernity rather than the ancient times of the rest of the story, and all the boons and insecurities that come with that. Contrast to Galatea's experiences in the past, where speech is much more formalized and the social theatre has much stricter guidelines of who's supposed to say what to which person. You don't have to worry about awkwardness then, because the rules exist to treat any social mishap... but, tangentially, you are not allowed to be speak your mind as freely, for the social guidelines do not account for all possible variations.
This almost coalesces in me thinking Mist wasn't entirely forthcoming with her answer about her scar (understandably so). It still bore the lack of detail and hand-waviness of an act you do not want to dwell in much - even though you are being honest about it - and that intrigues the mind.
I liked how Mist kind of followed what Vox once referred to as the 'volcano' of linear storytelling in Spectrum, heh. Started at the crest of the mountain, confident and feisty, to fall slightly in the hole at the top, due to her inexperience and adorable awkwardness about the situation, to once again crest the other side after the deed. A bit more mature, and a bit more understanding. If I butchered his analogy, oh well :P
Still, there was that element of randomness to it. This isn't a one-true-love. It's something that Galatea has experienced (I assume) multiple times, and cherished each of them in her memory, but that, overall, is another event in a grand history with no particular fateful aspect to it.
Don't have much to say about the epilogue that I haven't said already, I think. You know how I feel about the lovely family-time she got to have.
Thank you for the journey. I'll be following very closely the rest of it. Onwards, to more!
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Does it? Heh, it does, one way or another, given the present day setting to contrast the rest of the story. But yes, I'm satisfied in how it all ties in together
Precisely. She may have found her lowest points here, but damned if she won't make the best of it and live a content life. And though, well, it does wrap things up, I felt it necessary to give the poor mare some levity and relief, both in the closure and the epilogue with her finally gaining what she always wanted - a family.
Everyone has their secrets, not least of which the college student she's sleeping with, heh. Whether she'll reveal it or not, that's up to her.
I'll leave it to him to reply, heh
It is, isn't it? Just another quiet moment in life for Galatea... but a regular enough occurrence that she treats it with care. Because right then and there, only her partners and she matters in the world, that dingy little hotel room. Because she cares.
I felt it appropriate, once more, to show that ray of light at the end of it
But aye. Her journey continues.
Stay tuned!
It was a good story but the ending was disappointing to me. With all the buildup of the fateful meeting of sisters. Everything just seemed rushed.
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Aw, that's a shame, but thanks for the feedback
God reading this gives me the feels, keep up the good work
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Thanks
happy to see you've enjoyed it, and hope the rest of my works measure up 
Jotting down a few unusually quick replies here.
10704968,
All I'll say about the mission written into Galatea is that you may still have a few surprises in store, though this story is nonetheless intended to be fairly self-contained and thus, the blame can be allowed to be attributed to Faust within its parametres. In the wider 'verse, however, there might be more than it seems to Faust, and what led Galatea to grow closer to the world.
10711153,
As the writer of the riverside scene, I'm touched...
My big contribution to this story.
10719751
I don't mind that reading of my analogy.
I'm always getting surprised to see my words retained by others when I just happened to be saying what went through my head at the time.
Cheers,
~Vox
I have reviewed your story. You can find it in the Reviewers Mansion right here!
Thank you for writing such an amazing tale.
It has been a pleasure to read and a joy to review.
Have wonderful day!
Or night?
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Thank you for your time, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
I'll leave a reply once I've finished reading it, heh