Dear Princess Celestia,
I have recently learnt a new lesson. Not one on the magic of friendship, those ended three or so years ago, no this is a different kind of lesson I have learnt. You see, I am worried about time.
Time alone is not a scary concept. Things change allot over our life-times and we are more or less forced to accept that. What worries me is what time eventually does to all of us. Time lets us grow and develop yet also makes it so everything comes to an end.
Endings.
That word isn't a nice word, you know. It's full of anger, spite and hatred. Spike tells me it's just another synonym for other words but I don't believe it is. It feels almost evil.
An ending is final and time pushes you ever closer towards endings, and this is why i'm writing to you. Because I feel like my friends are starting to move towards endings. It worries me. I can't stop this, I can't use a spell and make everything sunshine and rainbows. I'm guessing not being able to control this is what scares me most. Lets take, for example, Rarity. Rarity's business took off shortly after Trender Hoof did a column on it. Everpony who is anypony owns at least one of her accessories and paying heavily for the privilege. This, at first, sounds brilliant. Right?
Wrong.
Rarity has become more and more stressed over all the orders she's given. Each and everyone bringing a need for a whole new design, and she's running out of ideas fast. Like 'Dishwasher chique' fast. She spends every waking moment thinking up 'bold' new designs and last came into the sun about five weeks ago. She's saying she'll be moving to Canterlot soon as there are better facilities for her business than Ponyville, which means we probably won't be hearing from her for months on end.
Pinkie pie is also nearing an ending. She has started becoming older and less energetic over time. No longer is she focused on running around partying, she now wants nothing more than a quiet sit down, possibly with a game of chess in the background. She stopped trying to huge parties around two years ago, but then again... she's 67. I think it might be for the best.
Are you starting to see my point on endings and time? Together they ruin everything and make everypony's life worse. It's not just that I hate endings though. I also hate you, Princess. Why? It's very simple: As you made me an alicorn, my life expectancy is basically quintupled. This sounds brilliant but all it does it create pain. I get to watch entire generations of ponies grow and die in front of me. My life is going to go on far longer than all my friends too. My entire life is basically going to be about not being able to make friendships for fear of having to watch them die also.
So thanks for that.
Maybe we should all just try to accept things stop over time. That endings exist.
Recently I got a letter from Flutter Shy. She's in Manehattan and is one of the best vets in all of Equestria. Recently she got a big case involving a pet dog and an unfortunate barbed wire accident. She was horrified to see any animal in such a state, as you can well imagine. I stuck her letter bellow, if your interested in reading it.
Hey Twi,
The dog's health has taken a turn for the worse. He might not make it, you know.
I don't know if I can live myself if he dies on me. I know I tried my best but if it's not enough...
I don't really want to think about it.
See you soon, Flutters.
I guess this is the ending of me seeing Flutter Shy as well then. Which means I only have one friend left that I can still talk to you. I think i've already told you about Rainbow's failed sonic-rain-boom attempt and the ground. The last time I saw her she made me promise not to cry. That was really the last time I saw her though. Like, I will never speak with her again. Which brings me to a small subsection of this letter: In memory of her death, can we have the wonder bolts make her an official member and perform at her funeral? I think it's the least we can do for all the times she's saved Equestria. Rainbow dash's ending was too abrupt and final. I know death is an inevitable thing but it still doesn't feel right. Why can't we all live forever? I know it wouldn't really work in the end but...
It's a nice idea, right?
I guess it's not all depressing though. Apple Jack is still able to talk to me, as she retired from apple bucking. not that she isn't starting to feel time's relentless march forward. Her hip gave way while apple bucking and now sits around just like the late Granny Smith did.
Everypony seems to be ending but me. Because of this I have started to take a student under my wing.
While in the crystal empire's library, I found a small foal named Shadow Path reading non-stop. At first this didn't bother me but whenever I returned he was still there, reading and you know what? I empathized with him. I felt like he was like me as a young filly so I offered his parents the chance for him to get personally tutored by me. They naturally agreed.
I have taught him about all the wonders in the world, millions of magic spells to help him achieve whatever he wants as he grows up. I have shared stories about me and my friends with him, telling of some of our wondrous adventures as well as some of the not so wondrous ones. I know now that not everything can last forever and my friends will eventually meet their individual endings, time will catch up and they will die. Which is why I am going to honor them, our past friendship, and whatever remains of our future friendship by teaching as many ponies as I can about the magic of friends through everything me and my friends have been through.
i'm kinda bummed out about not seeing my friends much anymore but you know what? Maybe endings aren't so bad... I will cherish the time my friends have spent with me for the rest of my life, and if I didn't know we would all end, I might just take them for granted. Painful thought, huh?
Out the window I can see Shadow Path running of with five of his friends, off on some adventure to do with sticks and a cardboard box. It makes me think that maybe I should try seeing my friends some more... before they all join Rainbow Dash again... Maybe it's too late to make a huge difference but hey, it's worth a shot. In the end, we all get to die and end but, just like Equestria, the story of the universe extends far beyond us and what we can see. Stories will continue to be told through the ages, whether I am there or not. Maybe that is what you want, to know that adventures will continue on even past what we all currently have... maybe it's not. I guess I may never know and with this... I think I want to resign from being your personal student so I can spend more time with my friends. I hope you'll understand.
your forever faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Princess Celestia held the letter for a bit, letting what was said soak in once more before reaching for Twilight Sparkle's student files and put the letter inside next to all the letters and pictures Twilight had sent her through her lifetime before closing the folder for the last time and putting it into a drawer in the Canterlot archives.
"Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student, I understand what your going through and just want you to know I am ok with everything you said. While the whole alicorn thing is kind of... irreversible... I promise I will do my best to allow you to make your last chapter with your remaining friends... meaning full."
and with the door was shut and locked for the last time in thirty years, where Shadow Path found and read the folder and realized Twilight hadn't been just some perfect being, she had been through ups and downs throughout her life and this made her sacrifice ten years ago that much more tragic and with that, brings an end to the last chapter of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and all of her friends.
Author's Note
I know there are some questions still left at the end but I left the ending of the story like that for a reason and I want to stick by it. Will go back to my other story soon.
