Time Goes On

by Dr_Pony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life
Length: 1644

Twilight, Celestia, Luna, and Discord are all immortal. They've lost friends, they've gone on epic quests, they're heroes to the world. These are their stories.

…No matter what. That's one thing Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Discord have all learned. Being immortal, they know that time will never stop, not for them, or anypony else. The only thing that changes is how long that time lasts. Their friends' times are up, but still universal time ticked on. They've gone on epic quests, both together and apart, but time remained steadfastly ticking. They're heroes in the eyes of all Equestria, and time ticks ever onward, not stopping for a moment they can savor. These are their stories. Not stories of epic quests, or dealing with recent loss, the stories of their everyday life, and how they deal with such great burdens in the ever-changing world.
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This story is set several thousand years after the canon time period. Modern technology has begun being invented, and the Mane Six (Besides Twilight) are immortalized only in stone. I know Meghan said Twilight wouldn't outlive her friends, but consider this my late entry to that "prompt". The idea came, so I wrote.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-08 16:56:59 UTC

Luna is the Only One of Us That Dies

Why, hello journal! As you should now know, my name is Discord, but with four ponies sharing a journal, not a diary, it might get hard to tell. So anyway, Discord here, clearing up what it means to be immortal. It means we cannot die by means natural or otherwise, be it old age or a murder attempt. Only one of us ever dies, and that's Luna. Albeit, she doesn't die very much, but she dies on occasion. Mainly when something distracts her. She's always very angry, but I think it's absolutely hilarious.

Paper is More Patient Than Ponies

Dear Journal,

Luna here, once again. I've been told that my previous entry was "too long" for something "so simple". They say that only  something "really important" or "very amusing" deserves so much of the space. And, as per Discord's request, you are not a diary, you are a journal. Just thought you'd like to know, journal. I doubt you're upset about how long my entry was. After all, paper, and many other things, are much more patient than anypony could ever be. Even with all the time my roommates have, I doubt they'd listen to me as intently and as long as you.

An Old Friend

It was just an average day in Canterlot Castle. Twilight and Discord bickered over who got to write in the journal next, Luna sat on the couch, focused on her video games, and Celestia was trying to read a book. If only there was the peace to do so. Then, it became a not-so-average day at Canterlot Castle. And all it took was a knock at the door. Not the door to the room, but a knock at the drawbridge. The guards ran to the gates with their weapons ready for whatever was so large that it could knock on the closed drawbridge across the moat. And every single one of them quivered in fear, though they dared not to let down their weapons, when they saw the giant dragon before them. Surprising to them, however, it did not attack. It simply stood there, waiting for them to do something. "What business do you have here dragon?" One guard, named Steel Shield, asked, "Do you mean to attack our city and plunder its riches, or do you come peacefully?"

"I mean you know harm," the dragon answered, "I only wish one thing."

"Which would be?" The Steel Shield asked, suspicion still in his voice.

"I wish to speak with the princesses three."

"Tell me your reason."

"Do I need a reason?

"Of course, I will not let a beast such as yourself pass without reason."

"And who are you?"

"My name is Steel Shield, son of Iron Helmet, descendant of Prince Shining Armor."

"Oh, Shining Armor, I remember him well."

"How would you know him?"

"He was my friend, and my brother-in-law."

"Brother-In-Law? You couldn't be Spike? Dragon assistant and adoptive brother to Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"Well, friend, you'll be delighted to know that I am the dragon you speak of."

"My apologies, Prince Spike." Steel Shield bowed before the adoptive Prince.

"No need to apologize, no need to bow. You are valiant, young soldier. To give an unknown dragon one's name is foolish, yet courageous all the same," Spike paused as Steel Shield got up, "May I speak with the princesses now?"

"Of course, sir."

Twilight could hardly hold back her tears of joy. Celestia and Luna were astonished that Spike remembered their names, let alone Canterlot's location. Discord was hardly surprised. Spike was the first to speak, "Long time, no see. What did I miss? I'm sorry I left so shortly after Fluttershy's funeral. It's just that with nopony but Twilight... I couldn't stay... but then I realized something."

Twilight stopped sobbing long enough to ask him, "What'd you realize?"

"That I don't need anypony but Twilight, because friendship is magic, no matter how many friends you have."

At this point not even Celestia or Luna could hold back tears. Celestia let a steady, but small stream of tears flow. Luna cried like a baby, and softly stated, "That was beautiful..."

Celestia managed to ask, "How'd you remember us after such a long time? Let alone where Canterlot is."

"Are you kidding?" Spike laughed, "How could I forget? Twilight is my adoptive big sister, for starters. And Discord writes me at least once a week."

"Discord?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, yes," Discord answered, "I wrote him constantly, asking him to 'come back home' and such nonsense."

"But why?" Twilight, Celestia, and Luna asked all in unison.

"To see all this happiness return!" Discord answered, "Ever since dear, sweet Fluttershy's passing, you've all been so far down the bottomless pit known as despair, even my shenanigans couldn't bring you back. So I though and I thought, and then I remembered something! That something was you, Spike!"

"Me?" the dragon in question asked.

"Yes, you! You're a dragon, a species with absolutely no upper age limit. The oldest dragons know about time before days, and some are still lurking about in their caves somewhere. You see Spike, dragons live as long as their magical flame does. If you keep it kindled, it will never go out, and neither will you. Most dragons keep it kindled with lust, a dark magic that turns them stern and mean. You, on the other claw, have kept it kindled with the most powerful and elusive magic: friendship, a light magic."

"And how do you know so much about magic, Discord?" Twilight asked.

"That's another story for another time, my dear Twilight. Perhaps someday you I'll tell you the truth, or maybe they will," Discord pointed to the princesses, "They know the answer, too. But for now, how about we fix Spike up."

With that, Discord snapped his talons, causing Spike to appear younger, until he looked like a teenage dragon, but with the voice he had from when he first moved to Ponyville. A badge had appeared on his chest that read 'I'm an Immortal!'. In his claws he held a certificate that read 'Welcome to the club' in Discord's claw-writing.

The Journal of the Everlasting Ones

*Cover Page*

We are the immortals, and these are our memoirs. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I shall be recording both my own experience and that which the others tell me to write.

*Change of writing*

Thank you, Twilight, but we're very capable of writing our own memoirs. In any case, "we" and "the others" refer to us when Twilight's writing. I'm Discord. "The others" are Celestia and Luna. We are, apparently, the "Immortals." We'll have to talk to Twilight about our little club's name.

New-Fangled Teleovision Games

Dear Diary,

Luna here. Just to specify Discord's rather broad statement, I am, in fact, still breathing. You see, diary, even in all my years in Equestria, I've never met something quite as fascinating as these "video games" where you actually can be killed. Now, as Discord stated, I don't die very much in said games. I like to think it's because I'm a natural at these games, but the others say it's because of experience. Celestia simply won't stop teasing me about when I first started playing, I'd die almost every three seconds. I always deny it, but it is true. I just couldn't figure it out! But then, Celestia challenged me to a game, and I won! I actually won a game! I asked Celestia if she let me win, and she claimed that she did. So I told her to play again, and she won. She did let me win the first time! I was so angry, and I don't think it was a secret to my roommates. She told me how she was already so good at the game though: she had read the instruction manual. Who would ever think of that?

They Never Really Left...

He wanted to see it, and it was only fair that he did. Twilight lead Spike down the stone halls of the old Castle of the Two Sisters, and it wasn't long before they were met with six familiar faces, all striking heroic poses , all in stone. This was their last wish. They didn't want to be buried in a cemetery, or anywhere else. They wanted to be buried here, where they found the elements, where they found out just how powerful their friendship was. Where it all began, and where it has all ended. This is what Spike wanted to see. He, however, did not see it as a grave, but as a memorial. A statement to help the citizens of Equestria remember these six individuals who saved the world time and time again. He walked around the room, brushing the dust off each of the statues' name-plates, but he didn't need them to know who they were. "Rainbow Dash," he read the names aloud, "Rarity, Applejack, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Fluttershy, and-," Spike cut himself off. Twilight's statue had suffered extreme damage, missing its head, right forehoof, and wings. "Twilight, what happened to your statue?"

"I happened Spike. It doesn't belong here."

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't need a statue to be remembered, I'll always be here."

"But it does belong here, Twilight. Don't you see?"

"Why would it belong here. I'm not dead, I don't deserve, or need, a memorial."

"But your friends wanted it here, they wanted all six of the elements to be remembered in this one room."

"The elements are gone, they have been for a long time. And like I said, I don't need to be remembered, I'm still here."

"Y'know, Twi, they never really left."

"What do you mean? Of course-" Spike cut Twilight off.

"They never really left, because we've remembered them."