Dreaming Of The Other Dimensions

Twilight awoke from here tormented sleep. While the dream flying with Luna helped, she was still gripped by a sense of loss. She knew that they were just dreams. Figments, shadows of her mind; born of a wish to have someone she could not have; but by Celestia they seemed real. More real than her life in Ponyville right now.

Here house, her beloved "Golden Oak Library", was gone. Destroyed by the monster Tirek. She did have a castle now (a big, empty, soul crushing castle) and a mission; to spread friendship across Equestria. She even got to go on missions, like to that town where everyone had the same cutie mark. She liked those, the away missions. She could lose herself in them and block out the dreams. Here, she always felt alone. She had even taken to bothering her friends and doing all types of volunteer work just so she would not have to spend time here, alone, with the dreams.

How odd it was that she should feel so caught up and drawn to a boy ( a boy who wasn't even her species) she had only known for what? - five days total; maybe six. Funny how she couldn't keep track. It was hard to even separate out what was real and what was dream. It all seemed to fold together into one seamless whole. She walked from her bed to her balcony to look at the new day. Maybe that would cheer her up.

She looked at Ponyville below. The town's folk were busily walking to and fro; going about their daily business. She didn't know if she envied or felt sorry for them. They were so caught up in their own lives, not knowing, not even dreaming of the wider world(s) that were out there. She had seen the bigger picture, traveled to another dimension. That knowledge was both intoxicating and fearsome. They worried about house and hearth. She worried about the total destruction of their planet. They were ignorant but at peace. She had knowledge but overwhelming responsibility. One against the other she supposed.

Something caught Twilight's eye. In the sky, something was approaching. As it grew closer it looked to be a Pegasus. Then she saw it had a horn. It was Celestia. She was flying to her; on her own. She had no guards or carriage. Twilight thought this was extremely strange. She became both nervous and excited as to what this visit might mean. Hopefully another field trip away from this castle.

"Princess Celestia," Twilight said and bowed as Celestia touched down.

"Twilight. May I please speak to you inside?"

Celestia sounded as though she were trying to mask a great sadness with forced happiness. This made Twilight very nervous with all the excitement from before leaving her. "Sure Princess, come on in," she replied with great concern.

As soon as they got inside, Celestia began to speak. "Luna told me about your dreams and I wanted to come here in person to talk to you."

"Oh," Twilight said confused. "I appreciate the effort and you coming here in person Princess; but they're just dreams."

A rueful smile flashed across Celestia's lips. "You dream of the boy; no? You dream of him and your child and your house and career and your friends."

"Yes," Twilight replied; still confused and a bit ashamed. How much had Luna told Celestia? How much had Luna seen? Oh what if she had seen one of the more "intimate" dreams she had about her and Flash. Twilight started to blush.

"Twilight, I love you as a daughter. You and Sunset Shimmer." Celestia sighed in deep pain at mentioning her former protégé. "I never had children. But that doesn't mean I never loved. In my youth, I traveled. Not here. No, not here. I traveled to other dimensions. That portal, the one which opens to the human realm, that's just where it stopped. I stopped it. I went to so many different places, seen so many different things, heh, had so many different bodies. But Earth was where I stopped it."

Twilight was even more confused. Celestia wasn't talking like her normal self. Her speech was broken like she didn't know what to say and was trying to figure that out as she spoke. More than that, Twilight was wondering what the point of this story was. What was she trying to say?

Celestia continued, "You read about the Roman Empire I assume?" Twilight nodded. "I was there," Celestia said. "In what the humans call four sixty. The empire was on it's last legs. It was cracking from within and being besieged from without. Maybe not the best time to go exploring, but I had been to much more dangerous realms and survived. I thought I could do so here.

"I was walking along a country road when I was attacked by bandits. I fought them off as best I could. A lot better than they expected." A satisfied smirk came upon Celestia's face. "But there were too many of them. Things could have gotten bad if not for . . . him." Now a look of pure joy came to Celestia's face.

"His name was Justinius. He was a general in the Imperial Army. Oh he was handsome. Tall, tan, bald on top but that just made him look more manly and battle worn. He came to my aid and then I came to his. He was so surprised to see a woman stand back to back with him and fight off our attackers.

"Afterwards, we began to talk. He asked me where I had learned to fight like that, who I was, where I was going, and the like. I played as coy, but still tried to be as honest as I could. He told me who he was and all that and asked if I would mind accompanying him for a while. That 'while' turned into three months. Oh, I guess I should have said moons. How quickly am I drawn back to their tongue." Celestia laughed. She laughed at her word choice and how those long ago events still held such sway over her.

"I would have stayed. I wanted to. He even asked for my hand in marriage. Oh by the gods I can still swear I feel his arm around me at nights." Celestia was almost in tears now. "But I couldn't. We were attacked by Barbarians one night. His unit. I accompanied him on his missions. We where over run. Men, dying all around me. Then, out of no where, a portal opens up and Star Swirl, the not yet bearded, comes and pulls me through. I begged him to save Justinius; but he refused. I ordered him and he simply said that there were duties and responsibilities that outweighed even a princesses orders. I never really forgave him. Even after I understood why he did it; my heart, part of my heart, will always hate him for that.

"Had I stayed, had I not come back, Equestria would have fallen. Fallen to my sister; fallen to a countless other threats that came to destroy or conjure. Being a princess comes with great power, but also great responsibility. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Twilight said at first then shook her head. "No. I mean, you were the only Princess for a long time. But there's four of us now. Princess Cadence is married to my brother, you and Luna are free to marry now, I mean, if you wanted to. And, I mean, I don't know. I guess I get what you're saying. But I always got that. I knew from the first things between Flash and I could never work out; but that doesn't make it any better does it?"

Celestia walked over and nuzzled Twilight. "No, it doesn't," she said softly. Then Celestia looked Twilight in the eyes. "Twilight, you have grown so much. I can not begin to tell you how proud I am of you. You have a destiny ahead of you far greater than you can realize. But to meet that destiny there are trials and tests ahead of you that you must face."

"More than what I've already done?" Twilight asked in disappointment and dread.

"I'm afraid so. And I am also afraid I can not elaborate more. But . . . I can say . . . your time on Earth is not over and you will see Flash again."

"But if I can't be with him; what's the point?" Twilight asked in anger and frustration.

"To have what I never did; a chance to say goodbye."

Celestia's words hit Twilight like an asteroid striking the planet. Suddenly she saw her mentor in a whole new light. All those years, centuries, she must have been carrying this crushing sadness with her. And for the longest time; that of banishing Luna, her sister, to the moon. How had she held up so well? Twilight was barely holding up now.

Twilight bowed her head, walked over to Celestia, and nuzzled her. "Thank you Princess. Thank you for caring about me and being here for me."

"You are welcomed Twilight," Celestia said with pure tenderness and affection. "Now I must go. The guards can not I'm gone. Stay strong Twilight. The future belongs to you." Celestia then took off out of Twilight's bedroom and flew off.

Twilight watched her as she went. She loved that Celestia would do something like this for her but she still felt alone. Oh well, she thought, maybe Fluttershy needs help cleaning her animals.