Chapters “Twilight?”
She thought she heard a voice-but from where? And what was she doing if she could not hear Pinkie’s voice till now?
Twilight knew she was in a big trouble. Quickly she thought how to respond, but as usual, the pink pony was already ahead of her, not giving Twilight any time to react to her sudden intrusion. “Twilight? Hello? What’s up?”
Looking to the right, Twilight saw Pinkie, now directly staring at her. “Twilight! You didn’t even notice me being this close! And that only means you are worried about something!” Pinkie was shouting at her. How did she not hear it?
“Uh….what?” Twilight said. She knew she had been definitely been blank for quite a while, though what worried her more was the fact that she must have looked very strange to Pinkie-and if something was strange to her, it caught her interest, and that only meant no good. She had to come up with a good excuse very soon, lest she be at the mercy of the pink predator which fed on others’ slight sign of showing disconcertment. It was Pinkie’s prime delight to make others smile, and by prime Twilight knew it was the divine commandment for Pinkie. She was the Element of Laughter, and her happiness was infectious. In a way it was good-sometimes too good for others to take.
“I called you several times about how boring this train ride was and then asked you why couldn’t we just use the teleportation spell. You said you were practicing on it last time. Anyway, you were not listening to me and that obviously means you are thinking about something. Maybe I can be a help?"
“Guess I was…feeling bored.” Twilight replied rather curtly, still yet unrecovered from her dazed state. It was always this part of the ride which made her to dread taking the train to Canterlot. Under the mountain, the view would become increasingly dull and bland, leaving Twilight unable to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Equestrian nature, now covered in white blanket of snow, the land entirely embraced by it. But right now, outside the compartment, her eyes could see nothing but a dark brown slab, it sometimes temporarily lighted for a second or so as the train passed the row of weak orange light lamps indicating the path for the track. The air smelled of deep earth that has not seen light for eternity, the scent strong enough to make Twilight stunned for a moment. It had a powerful odor which slapped against her nose, which was making sure to keep her awake despite the cozy environment the train offered against the winter cold, bound to make anypony very drowsy.
Whatever she was occupied with, however, was not about the train ride. Not at all. Even the tunnel smell did not prevent Twilight from getting lost in her thoughts. Something else she was thinking-and Twilight realized how she did not took notice of the usually hyperactive pink pony who exerted her presence both knowingly and unknowingly.
Mainly because what she was thinking was quite a serious matter.
“Hey, Twilight, you there? Feeling okay?” Pinkie was still staring at her, her right eyebrow raised up a little. Twilight recognized the sign; Pinkie’s curiosity had sensed its prey. The pink menace slowly came towards her. “I spy a pony who is really worried about something, Twlight I wonder what could it be? But don’t you worry, because Pinkie here will help you with whatever’s troubling you.” Pinkie grinned.
Normally she would have appreciated her attitude. But the situation was different this time. “I’m fine, Pinkie.” Twilight replied. She was managing to appear as if nothing had happened, but getting back from her preoccupied state was never easy. She knew it well her countenance was not going to fool Pinkie, though she had to give it a try. “I was doing nothing.” Her voice sounded really shaky right now, uncertainty evidently visible; and Pinkie was definitely not going to miss that. Twilight cleared her throat, coughing for a few times. “And the air was making me feel quite stuffed.” No, let’s not panic. Pinkie will get me on slightest chance she could find. Twilight fully reminded of herself.
Her faint hope was quickly dashed as she saw Pinkie looking far from being convinced, her predatory stance not diminished at all, her smile becoming increasingly disturbing, and her eyes shining, expecting-and determined-to acquire her target. “But Twilight, I’ve been calling you for several times and you didn’t answer. You looked so quiet, just sitting at your seat for the last few minutes. That's not the look of a pony doing nothing. I really think something’s bothering you. And I'm sure I can help you.” Pinkie looked at her. Her serious stare was not very different from the one she had at the cake incident they had few weeks ago, except there was a smile on her face (thus worse still, Twilight realized). Twilight’s previous experience with the pink earth pony was giving a warning sign that Pinkie was fully determined to reveal whatever Twilight was hiding.
Twilight smiled weakly, wondering if she could attempt to just pass it off. “Nothing, nothing. No problem at all. Nope, not at all! I told you, I was just feeling dizzy! Yes. And also tired too. Wow, the train sure takes long time to reach Canterlot, don’t you think so?” She tried to read Pinkie’s reaction as she quickly glanced over her. Unfortunately, Pinkie’s unnerving expression did not change much, and if anything, it only served to emphasize her suspicion over Twilight.
“Oh, is that so? You only make that face when you’re really worried about something. And my tail twitched three times in a row with my eyebrows flickering for two times when I was watching you. Do you know what that means?” Pinkie took one step closer to her. Twilight wondered if she was already caught in dead end with no way to escape, and was thus forced to let Pinkie devour her useless pretenses she hastily put on.
“Eh…that somepony is feeling bored?” Twilight laughed nervously.
“Wrong!” Her fears proved to be right as Pinkie came very close, the pink pony's nose actually touching Twilight’s face. Before she could say any word of protests, Pinkie began to blurt out her usual fast-paced chatter. “It means that somepony I see right now is really worried about something. And you know what? I didn’t even need my pinkie sense to figure that out! Anypony seeing your face right now will tell something’s wrong with you. And as your friend, I cannot really let you looking so sad and depressed!”
Twilight realized Pinkie was going her inquisitor mode again, ever so intent on making everyone smile. She had to find a way to dismiss Pinkie’s series of questions which was bound to hit her, or at least convince Pinkie that her state was not really special, not worthy to pursue. Unfortunately, for Pinkie, she was not going to be much of a help. It was complicated-very complicated.
“It’s nothing, really. You know the train ride to Canterlot takes more than a few hours. Perhaps I should’ve brought some books to read. That is what I should’ve done…yep” Twilight smiled, this time more confidently. A meek smile was not enough. To fool the predator, the prey had to be more cunning, outwitting the chaser. Pinkie was probably expecting her to fumble her words. No. She was definitely more than that.
“Really? That’s it?” Pinkie said, now looking uncertain of her judgement. Maybe she could get out after all.
“Yes, Pinkie. Now can you please step back a bit? Your face is so close to me and it’s making me feel really uncomfortable.” Twilight moved back a little, still maintaining her make-up confident smile despite being bombarded with Pinkie’s piercing glare.
Had she figured out? Maybe. She was Pinkie after all. Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie as her mind was devising a tactic to put a halt on the pink pony’s tenacious interrogation. Very often Pinkie could guess what others tried to find even without the her innate sense, and that was one of the reason why Twilight and others had such a hard time preparing a surprise birthday party for her in the first place. At least she was along with four more brains back then, but now, with her alone in the secluded section of the train which was probably not going to reach Canterlot for another few hours, she was on her own.
Much to Twilight's relief, Pinkie stepped back, returning to her seat and moved her eyes to the window “Oopsie, sorry about that. Yeah, I’m bored too.” Pinkie said. Then she became quite, turning her eyes to the unchanging color pattern of the underground tunnel that passed through the window. “There’s really nothing to do here except to watch the dull scenery.” Pinkie yawned.
Twilight knew she had to make sure that Pinkie had completely lost interest in questioning her. Better safe than sorry-Pinkie was so random, like a bouncy ball ready to move in all directions. Right now her sight was affixed at the window, but Twilight knew she was not out of the wood yet. The hunter could be patient, waiting for the right moment to strike. It was better for her to keep on her guard. Still managing to keep her distance, Twilight cast a short glance to Pinkie, wondering what she was thinking right now.
“Are you watching me, Twilight?” Before she could do anything however, Pinkie suddenly turned back to meet her not-so-surreptitious investigation. A mischievous smile began to form on Pinkie's face. Twilight tried to avert her gaze, but it was to no avail; the pink earth pony was faster than a lightning, her huge eyes once again transfixed at her as she stood in front of her.
“Aha! Gotcha! You thought you were watching me, but really, I was watching you!” Pinkie grinned, and her grin got much bigger than Twilight thought ever possible. And of course, that only meant trouble. Lots and lots of trouble for her.
“Um…no! I was just looking at you because I was bored! You know, it’s just you and me going to Canterlot. And with just two of us, we don’t have much to talk about, right?” Twilight knew her voice was fumbling. “So, uhm, I was just looking around, uh, and happened to see you! Yes, that’s it…” Desperate attempts-and they were failing. They were simply not working.
“Oh? Really?” Pinkie's tone was overly sarcastic-another ill omen.
Twilight’s body involuntarily shuddered. “I, um, thought we were all going together, but you know others are all tied down doing their businesses. And that was what I was thinking few minutes ago.” Twilight replied, suppressing her quickly escalating fear, though her ears caught some shaking within her voice. And if she realized something was wrong, there was no way for Pinkie to miss the obvious sign.
Pinkie smiled-and it was not her usual smile, but more sly one, signaling her curiosity peaked at its max. “I spy a pony hiding something, Twilight. And I hope that isn’t you.” She giggled-then stopped.
What Pinkie did next Twilight did not expect. Pinkie was still looking at her-but she was visibly concerned. “Am I bothering you now Twilight? If that’s the case, I won’t ask you them... But I know that look. It’s the look of a very distressed pony. I just don’t want to see such look from my friends. Could you please tell me what’s wrong?”
Twilight looked at her with wide eyes, clearly not expecting this. So smart she was! Of course it was not a hunt at all, but Pinkie only trying to make her friends get rid of their worries and smile. Pinkie was her friend-and friends were there to help you; Twilight now felt quite ashamed. Perhaps she should have just told her?
But then again, it was not something Pinkie was likely going to help. The issue-it seemed so simple, but it was really not.
“Well.” Twilight said, taking a deep breath, quite unsure of how to start the conversation this time. “I do have a problem, but it’s not about others not being able to come. They have their works to do. I think it all started with the terrible winter storm we had for the past few days. It did hit Ponyville pretty hard. And as a result, Fluttershy now needs to take care of the sick animals and AJ’s barn house needs a major repair. Dash had to fly to Cloudsdale to check the Weather Bureau there how the storm came by, and the last time I checked Rarity, she was busy making the extra coats for all the ponies that caught a cold because of the freezing winds the storm brought."
“And then you received an urgent letter from Princess Celestia telling you to come meet her as soon as possible, right? That’s why we’re riding the train to Canterlot, I suppose. Luckily I happened to bake a whole new batch of delicious pies in case of a storm emergency! I would have liked to help others, but Princess Celestia did say you had to bring at least one pony with you. I just hope they all enjoy my confectionery. You know, few days ago my mane and tail twitched way over than usual. And that always means the big storm’s a-coming. So I guess you are wondering why Princess Celestia asked you to come, hmm?”
“How…did you know?” Twilight wondered whether Pinkie could read her minds now.
“Well, I think that’s gotta be the only reason. I mean, nothing special happened in Ponyville other than that. Oh, except the storm I guess. But you did look very surprised when you got the letter from the Princess.”
Twilight sighed. Perhaps Pinkie was a physic and did read her mind-though partially. She was guessing it fairly right; close, but not exact. “Okay, you got me. I was actually thinking about that. Don’t you think it’s strange for the Princess to call me so suddenly? I mean, Ponyville was hit by a storm and it would have been better if I stayed there to organize the cleanup process. But the Princess’s letter said that it was really crucial that I come to Canterlot no matter what…. And like you mentioned, she said to bring one pony with me. At first I was wondering why she wrote like that, but it actually turned out that you were the only one who could come with me-as if she knew others could not come in the first place! I’m relieved Cheerilee gladly volunteered to take things in orderly fashion though. But all these events just doesn’t make sense.”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, it does start to look very strange. Lot's of things don't make sense in the first place...but this one I think is very strange, stranger than others.” Pinkie said.
Twilight nodded. “Yeah...things can be strange I guess. Anyway, that was what I was thinking before you called me, trying to figure out why she called me.”
“Got any idea why?”
“I really don’t know. It might have to do something with the letter I sent to the Princess few days ago.”
“Oh, what was the letter about? I thought it was one of the Friendship Report?”
“No...it was something else. Hold on, I'm trying to remember...” Twilight hesitated for a second. Should she tell to Pinkie what the letter was about? Somehow she felt she shouldn’t tell Pinkie exactly what she wrote on the letter. She was a good friend who cared for her-but what was bothering her was just too serious, at least that was what Twilight thought, and she was not sure if Pinkie could comprehend what she was truly worried about. Just how could she explain it to Pinkie? Something was wrong. At first she thought it was just a careless mistake, just a minor error-but it was not, at least from her perspective. Twilight gulped, wondering if she could somehow tell Pinkie only what she thought to be okay to tell her. “Pinkie, do you know how old is Ponyville?”
“76 years. Why?” Pinkie titled her head, looking not really sure why Twilight asked the question.
“Nothing. Just wanted to make sure on that one.”
Pinkie did not look amused, quickly frowning. “No Twlight, that’s not how it works. If you want to make something sure, then it’s not just ‘nothing.' Why would you want to make sure of that?”
Twilight put her hoof on her forehead. The pink pony could be so acute in certain situations without even realizing it (or maybe she was very well aware of her talent). “That Ponyville is indeed 76 years old. I thought it was older, I mean, way much older than that, like hundreds of years old.” Twilight said, keeping her apprehension as best as she could.
“But Twilight, everypony living in Ponyville knows how old the town is. You ask that question to anypony in town, and she will say ‘It’s 76 years old, founded by the Sweet Apple Acres Family.’ Who said it was that old anyway?” Pinkie said, the look of puzzlement on her face.
Twilight felt really cold for a second, and she knew it was not because of the cold weather outside. The train was heated so well, and extra insulation spell made sure that the machine maintain the comfortable room temperature. Luckily for her, Pinkie did not seem to notice of her sudden cringe. “Oh…is it? I swear the book I read before said Ponyville was about 600 to 700 years old….”
Pinkie shook her head. “Nuh-uh. 76 years. I’m sure the book you read was wrong, Twilight. Really wrong. So you wrote to Princess Celestia about that?”
“Yeah…” Twilight muttered, putting away her sudden unexplainable fear to the deepest part of her mind as best as she could. It was just a minor issue-or was it? She just could not help keep thinking about it-why was it keep getting back inside her head? “Guess I was wrong then. Then what could be the reason for Princess Celestia asking me to come? if it was about the letter I sent, a reply letter would have been fine…"
“Oh! Or maybe she thought it was really important to tell you that Ponyville is actually 76 years old and not hundreds? I think it’s really important to know how old Ponyville is.” Pinkie giggled, now somewhat returned to her usual playful self. “Don’t worry too much, Twilight. I’m sure the Princess will tell us what it is about once we get there. It's not like worrying is going to make you feel better.”
Twilight bit her lips. Pinkie's words were comforting-but it was not enough. There was just no reason for the Princess to suddenly summon her. Just to tell her that? No. “Maybe.” Twilight smiled faintly, ignoring her logic coming to a terrible conclusion. Perhaps it was better to not to push the issue too far, as Pinkie wisely advised. “I guess we’ll know once we meet Princess Celestia.”
“Of course! Just ask Princess Celestia as soon as you meet her!"
“I wish.” Twilight said, contemplating for a moment. Pinkie’s reply did manage her to settle down a bit. Yes, worrying was not going to help-but Pinkie did not know what she was really facing. She was trying her best to please her, but she knew not what Twilight had found. And Princess Celestia-what did she know of this?
The train steadily moved upward through the tunnel track inside the mountain. Despite the regular clicking sound the locomotive made, Twilight could hear Pinkie snoring softly, apparently unperturbed by the noise. She was really sleeping this time, judging from the sound she made. Pinkie was probably not going to wake up for another few good hours. The incessant sound was not to be much of a concern for Twilight either; at least she could think again about the issue, now much more privately.
It was constantly bugging her. Ponyville. How old was it? How long was its history? Normally she wouldn’t have had much interest; it was not supposed to be much of an issue. Yes, that was what she said to herself. But something happened; it was always something that made certain unexpected events to happen. Twilight wondered if she was actually destined to come across the issue from the start, triggered by the ultimate fate deciding everything, if such thing ever existed.
Two years ago, that was probably when it had all started, when Twilight was just preparing to leave for Ponyville to supervise the Summer Solstice Festival. She recalled how, just before leaving Canterlot, she decided to know more about the town she was about to head to. Back then, she was not thinking much about knowing Ponyville ponies; it was just that she thought it would be better for her if she could perhaps be more familiar with the village itself, so that she could inspect the festival more smoothly without having to ask Ponyville ponies after arriving there.
As Ponyville was a small town, it did not take her long to find the relevant sources. In fact, all she found was just one book that had a brief section about the history of Ponyville. It described how Ponyville was founded by a group of earth ponies hundreds of years ago-between 600 and 700-and ever since then, it has not changed much, being the small town to this day. That was what the book had said about Ponyville. A small town with a long history. That was indeed what the book said.
That was what she remembered. Ponyville. Hundreds of years old. Then it happened that made her to reconsider her memory. Actually, it made Twilight rethink her absolute faith in her intelligence. But it was just so bizarre that Twilight thought it was the world which was wrong, not her. It could happen-it could.
When was it? She asked herself. A year ago? Definitely after defeating the Nightmare Moon and saving Princess Luna from its grasp, after she came to befriend her current friends; somewhere around after vanquishing Discord as well. Two years ago, and then one year ago. Did something happen during the two time?
Ponyville. How old was it? She could not stop asking the question over and over again.
It was like any other day when Twilight went to the Sweet Apple Acres. The reason? She really wanted to taste the sweet Apple juice AJ loved to boast about. She knew the way, nothing peculiar happened on her way. The weather was fine , the sun high above the sky with few patch of clouds, typical sunny weather of Ponyville. Everything was normal, nothing was wrong, nothing should have been wrong, until she found something in AJ's house. After walking down the road, like she always did, she arrived at the Sweet Apple Acres. And so there Twilight was, inside AJ’s house, after a few talk with AJ eagerly waiting for the juice to be served. Granny Smith was with her, and she told her how AJ has added one more Apple-item to the farm and that she was proud of her granddaughter. Naturally her story went off explaining the origin of the Zap-Apple Jam, a specialty that Granny Smith herself had added to the Apple Family’s products.
Then it happened-bothering her ever since then. Twilight could definitely recall the exact moment when Granny Smith showed her the photo of Ponyville in its early years. 76 years ago-apparently, that was Ponyville’s age, or how everypony except Twilight thought it to be; Granny Smith said how her whole family had become the foundation of Ponyville. Twilight looked at the photo, making sure her eyes were not deceiving her. In front of the wooden buildings were Granny Smith and her parents.
Her mind was saying it was not right. 76. Few hundreds. The differences were just unbelievably huge. What? How? Twilight knew better than to blurt out in front of Granny Smith that she was wrong. She listened to her better judgment, just listening to Granny Smith's story.
Later that day, she went to the City Hall to see the Mayor. Her answer was very much the same: Ponyville was founded by AJ’s family, the Mayor kindly explained to her. She even took her time to show Twilight the official Ponyville Photo Archive. And again, she saw the photo of Granny Smith and her parents’ striking a pose in front of Ponyville, a one that Twilight saw hanging in AJ's house.
When she returned to her home, the first thing she did was to search the library, from the top left shelf to the right bottom one. But as she searched the general catalog again and again, glossing over all the documents, scrolls, and books related to Ponyville history, she found the same piece of information that matched what Granny Smith and the Mayor said: Ponyville was indeed 76 years old. She could never find the book that she read before coming to Canterlot, even after checking every shelf existing in the library, going each book one by one. The book was not there, as if it never existed in the first place.
Twilight did not panic; at least not yet. She had learned her lesson before, after she had made almost the entire Ponyville mare population to chase down after one doll. She just had to remain calm and think over. Perhaps the book she read when she was in Canterlot was wrong; and if it was wrong, naturally there would not be many copies because of it. It was just her bad luck to find the book with the incorrect information.
When Twilight returned to Canterlot to pick up the book, it was not there. She thought she could panic then.
She figured it would be best if others-including Princess Celestia-did not know her pursuing this peculiar issue she was having. Had they known, they could have told Twilight not to worry on the minor details too much, lest she drives herself crazy with worry again.
Though Twilight knew it for sure that it was clearly not a minor issue. If the differences were just few years-maybe even decades-then she would have been fine with it. Just some marginal error which was bound to happen in the field of history. Nopony could be so precise with the dating.
But a difference amounting to hundreds? Something was very wrong, and to Twilight she seemed to be the only pony who realized it. After asking Granny Smith and the Mayor, she stopped openly asking questions, knowing it was probably not going to look good she acting paranoid once again. Instead, Twilight chose to be more circumspect. It was good that she was now friends with everypony else in Ponyville. She could meet anypony and say a word of greetings. She would then nudge them to talk about Ponyville history. And everypony she had met said Ponyville was 76 years old, founded by the Sweet Apple Acres Family.
The matter continued to bother her-until Twilight, after thinking for a really long time, decided that she had no choice but to inform Princess Celestia about it. It was not an easy decision to make; how was she going to present her case?
Despite the voice inside her telling she should just ignore it and act as if nothing happened-and indeed, it really looked as if the issue had not bothered others but only Twilight herself, she wrote the letter.
That was few days ago. Twilight had actually waited for about a year before she did anything. Not because she was lazy, but most likely to observe if she was the only one disturbed by the issue. And suddenly, Twilight received the Princess’ letter requesting her presence at the Canterlot Palace. Her reply was short and brief, not telling why she called Twilight. But she knew the letter had something to do with her sudden visit to Canterlot.
A pony had to be wary of such brevity. Often it meant the one who was writing letter was planning on not letting others know what she knew, thus revealing as little as possible, writing only the most essential part. More strange was the p.s. part saying she had to bring one pony. One pony? Why? What had that to do with the issue of how old Ponyville was?
It was like what Pinkie said; lots of things didn't made sense at all. Maybe she was right in saying that. Twilight thought really hard, until the train actually arrived at the Canterlot station.
Twilight gulped, standing before the gate that led to Princess Celestia’s Private Chamber. She tried to catch her breath, not just because she ran all the way from the train station to the Canterlot Palace. She recalled how, the guards at the Palace gate upon seeing their arrival promptly moved aside, as if knowing their arrival at that exact moment in advance, and then one pony named Sharpeye, introducing himself as a guard on duty for Princess Celestia, escorted Twilight and Pinkie through the hallway and eventually leaving them at the gate, saying ‘Her highness is expecting you two’ as he left the two.
All she had to do now was just to knock few times and then enter. Inside the room would be Princess Celestia, and she was going to tell why she called her. Problem solved. There could be no room for any kind of trouble.
Just knock. How hard was that? The Princess was waiting for them. Perhaps she was going to tell Twilight and Pinkie why the book was not available any longer. It might have been out of print by now. Ponyville could well be 76 years old instead of hundreds; it was just that Twilight happened to find a book of very poor quality, so poor that all the copies were subsequently retrieved and destroyed, except the one which she had the chance to take a look. Perhaps the librarian might have gotten rid of it seeing how the book contained incorrect information after Twilight left Canterlot. That seemed most likely what Princess Celestia was going tosay. Then she would reassure her that there was nothing wrong with her knowledge.
Twilight could not find much fault with her logic. Not only it sounded plausible, it was also good hypothesis, a one that fit perfectly within her way of thinking. It was proper and reasonable enough.
Except that all the process could be done with the Princess merely sending a reply letter saying that the book was wrong. But she did not, for whatever reason Twilight was yet to find out. She could have called later if sending letter seemed inappropriate. Ponyville was hit by a storm, but instead of organizing the whole Ponyville ponies to clean up the damage the storm had caused, Twilight was now in Canterlot, not Ponyville. The answer this perplexing situation only Princess Celestia knew.
There was also the possibility of the Princess’ call entirely unrelated to Ponyville history problem-then what could it be so important that she had to come to Canterlot so urgently? What about Ponyville history then?
The long dreaded hours of the train ride to Canterlot did not provide enough time for Twilight attempting to explain the course of events. What was the Princess going to say? It’s okay, nothing to worry about, she said to herself, reminding again and again the Princess was not calling because of Spirit of Disharmony set loose once again or another Changeling invasion, gathering herself from sudden paranoia that was seizing her. If it were, she would have stated that in her letter. Twilight knew her problem very well: she worried too much. She had to relax. She was glad that Pinkie was with her, lest she would have become more deranged than the last time.
“Well, I’m finally here…” Twilight slowly raised her front hoof, fidgeting around the doorknob. Just knock already! Her own voice shouted to her. What’s taking you so long?
I don’t know, Twilight thought. Ponyville history. Was it supposed to be that important so that she had to come all the way here?
Pinkie put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, her extreme friendliness sensing a distraught pony within the vicinity. “Now Twilight, don’t panic! I’m here as well. We’re all here! Geez, I think you ran faster than Dash when you rushed through the streets after getting off the train! I’m sure Princess Celestia will answer your question about Ponyville history. As far as I know, it is 76 years old. But who knows? Perhaps Princess Celestia knows better than I am.”
Twilight looked at Pinkie. Could she understand? To her it seemed she was only one having the problem. To Pinkie and everypony else-and probably Princess Celestia as well-Ponyville was 76 years old. Only Twilight herself thought it different. By common sense, she knew it was she who was likely to be wrong. But why was she thinking the other way?
What seemed as a simple issue was becoming too much for her. Ponyville. How old was it? The question was becoming increasingly-and dangerously-bothersome to Twilight in a very successful way. She could be wrong, she could be right. But either way, it was her versus the world, and that seemed to be the bitter truth. It did not matter that much even if she was right-still then, it would be just like the time when Discord set loose again. She was the only unaffected pony by Discord’s magic-what good came out of it? She might have gave up and just well fallen under the spell, for she knew she could not bear the situation of being left alone.
“Now Twilight, don’t have that look as if you’re all alone and nopony could understand you. I’m here with you. Oh, and Dash and AJ and Rarity and Fluttershy as well. They couldn’t come, but you do realize they care about you, right? What are friends for?” Pinkie smiled, her expression taking a sympathetic tone, a warm smile among many other smiles she had in her store. “I have to admit, I don’t know how you happened to ‘know’ that Ponyville is hundreds of years old, but you know what they say. Two heads are better than one, and I say the many the merrier and better! You should just have told us, Twilight. But hey, writing a letter to Princess Celestia was great! She’s the one ruling over Equestria, and I’m sure she knows so much about Equestrian history.”
“Thank you for saying that, Pinkie.” Twilight managed to grin a little. “But it just doesn’t make sense, no matter how hard I try to think. I really appreciate your effort-I mean, I’m really glad you were able to come with me, because I just don’t know what’s going to happen now. I don’t know what to do. I cannot think of a reason the Princess is calling me. I don’t think I can move this hoof of mine, because I don’t know what awaits me behind this gate. If only I could know."
“Twilight, of course we’ll never know what will happen in the future. And I think that is a rare bliss. Remember what happened when future-you visited? It would have been better if you never knew what actually happened 'next Tuesday!' Besides, I’m sure beyond this door Princess Celestia will be waiting for us.”
“I guess…you’re right. Oh well, here goes nothing.” Twilight took a deep breath, knocking in the door for few times. After waiting for a few second, she opened the door and entered the room.
Twilight saw Princess Celestia in the middle of the room, sitting in a cushion with a book in front of her. Whether the book she was holding was the one she once desperately searched, Twilight could not discern. The book which started it all; but to her dismay and subsequent relief it looked different, being much bigger in size. In its cover Twilight caught glimpse of an image of a pony having both a horn and a pair of wings.
It was clearly a book she never saw before. Perhaps it was the book of proper Equestrian history. Twilight had never seen a book with an alicorn image in its cover, but assumed that it was a very important book which the Princess rarely took it out from her own library. Starswirl Wing had a scroll containing time-travelling spell, and to Twilight it seemed natural that particular section of the library held much more secrets that were better left undisturbed, unless in case of dire situations.
She hoped the situation wasn’t as dire as she thought. Who knows, Twilight said to herself. Perhaps I’m thinking too much, and she was just reading the book to pass the time until she and Pinkie came to her. But what about the cover? The image of an alicorn had to signify a great degree of importance.
Putting aside the voice of the reason, Twilight walked closer to the Princess. “Princess Celestia! Good to see you again.”
“Hello, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie.” Princess Celestia levitated the book down, saying the word in a serene tone. Her soft soothing voice was perhaps what Twilight needed, as she immediately felt very relieved upon hearing her mentor’s word.
Twilight bowed, while managing to continue her inspection upon the book. Whatever it was, she surmised it had to be in some way related to her current meeting with the Princess. There had to be a reason for the book being here right now. Everything had to make sense, and if, as Pinkie said, many things didn’t, Twilight figured it was a pony’s job to fill the gaps, identifying cause for all the things happening.
“Hello Princess! Long time no see! Oh, maybe short time, I should say. It’s only been few weeks after the Royal Wedding, right? That was super fun!” Pinkie now fully returned to her usual overly delighted self quickly secured one cushion and immediately sat down.
Princess Celestia laughed. “Yes, Pinkie. Thank you again for your excellent DJ skills.” She turned to look at Twilight. “And Twilight, my faithful student. I express my humble apology once again for my thoughtless remark on that day. I was…a bit overloaded with myself, thinking you were accusing wrongly of my niece. I was the one who had lot to think about.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal. Who would have expected a Changeling Queen feigning herself as Cadence?” And nopony would have ever thought that Ponyville was hundreds of years old, except for her, Twilight thought. “I’m glad at least that’s over.” Twilight said, hiding her anxious state as best as possible.
Soon she would get the answer. The letter. Ponyville history. Whether the two were related at all she could ask Princess Celestia both subjects. The former was the reason she came to Canterlot in the first place, and the latter, the Princess was bound to know, being the ruler of Equestria for countless centuries. At least she would have the right source to tell her. Or it could be about the winter storm. All things considered, Twilight reminded her to ask the questions later.
Luckily for her, Pinkie was quick to get to the point, being able to bypass formal conventions if she considered (which happened fairly often) unncessary. “You know, Twilight here wanted to know why you called her to come. Oh, and me as well. I was the only one whocould come with her.”
“Yes. From what I gather, Ponyville was hit by a storm of an unusual size, isn’t it? The Weather Control Team in Cloudsdale had sent me a report about it. About the letter, I am sorry for not writing why I called you. But as you know, Twilight, sometimes…a certain degree of discretion is absolutely necessary.”
“Discretion? For what reason?” Twilight asked, definitely noticing how the Princess’ voice trailed little off in the end. “Is something wrong?” She hoped the cold sweat running down her face was the result of her charging through the Canterlot streets. Princess Celestia usually spoke with her gentle voice, not faltering, grace itself manifested in her words and action, though in dire circumstances-whatever the case might be-her manner of speech would change. Of course, everypony tended to fumble and mumble at her words in a troubling situation. But what, Twilight had to wonder, could be a situation so out of control for an Alicorn princesss who controlled the Sun every day since the beginning of Equestrian history, forcing her to stray from her natural placid voice?
“Frankly, I do not know how to explain the issue. Not by letter, and not by short words, I am afraid.” Princess Celestia sighed. “But I know not telling you would do no good. I am well aware of your intellectual capacity and outstanding curiosity, Twilight. You were always adamant when it came to learning about something that caught your interest. You wanted to know why things were as it appeared to be. You wanted to know answer to every question you had.”
“Princess Celestia?” Twilight did not like where this was going. The Princess' tone was placid, a reassuring tone indeed. But it was too much, and to her it was exactly the calmness right before the storm.
“This book, for example.” Princess Celestia levitated the book to bring it closer to Twilight. “Don’t you think there is a reason I have it right here while meeting you? Twilight Sparkle I know would be curious about it. ‘Why would Princess Celestia have that right now?’-you would ask.”
“Wait. What has that to do with you calling me?”
“It was because of your letter I brought this book, Twilight. When I got your letter and read it, I was very surprised and worried.”
Twilight felt a heavy stone suddenly inside of her stomach. Princess Celestia surprised. And worse, worried. A sign ensuring great trouble, like a ominous sound of a bell tolling for a pony's ultimate doom. “But why?” Twilight asked, desperate-and at the same time fearing-for what the Princess was going to say.
No, I am better than this. Twilight tried to breathe more slowly, allowing the pleasant aroma of the room enter her nose and make her settle down a bit.
Pinkie shrugged. “Oh. Is something wrong with Twilight's letter?”
After being still for a minute or two, Princess Celestia began to speak. “No. It is not about that. I am sorry if I made you feel really worried. But know this. Whatever I am about to tell you, you must not be surprised. I will now explain. You must first listen, I implore you.You will have questions, I am very sure. But please, let me finish my word first."
Twilight and Pinkie nodded.
“Good. Where to start…yes. I know you Twilight think of all things having their own reasons. Some are more difficult to understand than others. Ponyville history, yes. That is one of the reasons I called you here.”
“There are other reasons?” What started out as a simple intellectual curiosity has led her to this; the chain of events that happened so far seemed so overwhelming for Twilight, as if there was an external force governing her life to come to at this certain point.
“Many reasons, ultimately leading to one grand one, I suppose.” Speaking in uncertain terms; Twilight involuntarily cringed upon hearing the voice of the Princess becoming less and less certain. “It is rather simple, actually. Let us think; it is not always easy to know the reason behind a certain phenomenon, don’t you think so?”
“Yes.” Twilight quickly answered.
“But we do know the fact that there is a cause for a happening. That I believe is one of the simple rules that govern this world. How old is Ponyville you ask? There is a reason for your questioning. There is also an explanation for Ponyville being certain years old. And yes, there is a reason for you finding out that your knowledge about Ponyville history does not accord with others’. The origin of an unusual storm must be explained as well, right?”
“Yes, Princess Celestia.”
“Twilight, the reason is, well, I believe it would be better if you actually see it for yourself.“ Princess Celestia brought the book close to her. Twilight quickly used her horn to grab it with her magical energy, taking a good look. It was not different from her first scan, the cover having the image of an alicorn. Everything else was as same as a regular hardcover book published.
“The book you see before your eyes, Twilight, is the reason why you think Ponyville is 76 years old. And yes, you are right. Ponyville is hundreds of years old-I still remember its founder Wagon Trail coming to Canterlot to ask for guidance for settlement. At least that was how it was, until the book said something else. To make long stories short, what’s written on the book determines what happens in real life. If it says Ponyville is 76 years old and founded by Granny Smith, then so it happens. The reason behind everything you have experienced and will experience happens because of this book.”
Twilight wondered if she had finally stressed out and was hearing things that the Princess never spoke in the first place.
"What is written on this book is how this world functions. Equestria and the world itself is the product of this book." Princess Celestia said, her voice little bit shaky. "I know this is a hard fact to take, but you must believe me. Ponyville, before the book said it was 76 years old, had a long history. Now it does not. The fact is, now it is 76 years old. Because the book says so."
Twilight turned to look at Pinkie, who in turn looked at her, wide-eyed, not sure what to say. Sure, she was definitely there, but could she be any help now? What good was it anyway if there was any?
Even Discord’s magic could not have left Twilight in her current shocked state; whatever she was expecting as to be the worst, it was certainly not Princess Celestia saying that there was a book which explained everything. Her words kept ringing in Twilight's ears. Every sentence she had clearly heard; but when she put them all together, she faced a giant beast her mind could hardly comprehend, an amalgamation of strangeness beyond measure. A book about everything-could such thing ever exist?
Her mind was quick to draw a conclusion. This time, Twilight cursed herself for knowing so well. The answer to everything. The book of everything, like a database, that’s how. All of her life and her memory was inside this book she was looking at it. The more she thought, the more it became clear to her, though she never wanted to admit. She had to be wrong. She had to.
The disturbing possibilities quickly emerged, clutching her tightly. Twilight thought her whole body had collapsed to the floor, her legs unable to support the unbearable burden that suddenly appeared. “I mean, if the world is the product of this book, then that means…” She could no longer feel the floor under her, as if she was falling through a bottomless pit.
Her mind was working like a runaway train going downhill, constantly accelerating in a way she could no longer control. The heavy imaginary stone inside Twilight’s stomach now felt increasingly real. “I mean, if somepony-or something-changes what’s written there-“ She didn’t dare to finish her words. Or to be more exact, she just couldn’t. She felt hard to breathe, even though she was sitting still, inhaling the sweet magically purified air of Canterlot Palace. She also felt her body shaking uncontrollably, though the room was pleasantly warm, the piercing cold impenetrable beyond the palace walls and the barriers the guard unicorns maintained all day. The soft cushion she was laying against she thought it as a hard rock full of small sharp spikes impaling her skin, boring tiny invisible holes in her body. “Then-then-“
The world also changes. Princess Celestia did not speak, but Twilight heard the voice from somewhere. Perhaps it was her mind making the most reasonable conclusion. What we call reality is merely a fiction, a figment of imagination. Wasn’t it? The voice said.
No. It can’t be. It mustn’t be. “I’m wrong, right? Like last time, I’m just overly worried, right? Pinkie, you do think right now I’m too much stressed…right? Driving myself crazy with worry?” The familiar feeling of helplessness came back to her, a definite step one of her breakdown process. Twilight knew, and yet, she was unable to do much anything about it. She wished, wished very sincerely that Princess Celestia would reply ‘Yes.’ Even a simple nod would was going to suffice.
It was-it had to be a very shocking joke. That was how Twilight wanted to believe, despite knowing the Princess’ look said otherwise. If it were not, she could not think of the implications it would have on her life. Her words were beyond what she expected to be the worst; a pony had to always watch out for unexpected danger, which was the reason Twilight thought that she had always to be prepared, making sure to act calm even in the case of an emergency.
She was expecting a light drizzle. The emergency came like a heavy storm that destroyed everything in its path. She wasn't ready for this.
Twilight just stared at the book, completely at a loss what to do, her mouth agape, wide-eyed, the time seemingly stretching to infinity with her stuck in her current position, ever unable to escape. Of all the worst groundless fears she were imagining, she never expected this situation. Her mind had already worked out of which she considered to be the implications of Princess Celestia’s words. She was thinking it right now, though she was unable to speak. Ideas spawned their offspring; each one was more terrifying than its antecedent, multiplying beyond her control until she thought her heads would burst from being overloaded.
That actually seemed to be the most desirable option for her, though it never happened. Twilight realized she was still there even after what felt like aeon, trying to understand the Princess’ words and the ramifications.
How old was Ponyville? She thought she was going to hear a lengthy lecture from Princess Celestia about the subject, possibly about its complex history and why most books said that it was 76 years old while some said otherwise. But no, what was waiting for her was the terrible truth which she should have never come across. It was better if she could just forget all about it. Pinkie once said how it would be ‘fun’ if the world they all lived were actually inside somepony else’s book. Twilight laughed it off, never expressing her concern; but deep down inside she didn’t like it. Or rather, she was scared and deathly afraid of it. To think the entire world she believed in was just the result of the book she was facing right now, and she merely a puppet designed to perform in the world she thought to be real, but which was not; the idea could never be ‘interesting’. It was never comforting, and was bound to be the worst nightmare she didn’t even dare to think about, storing the idea towards to the deepest part of her mind, intending never to be reminded of it again. Until now.
How was the world created? Why was everything made in its current form? Many ponies have asked the question before. It was natural for a pony to wonder about everything, of how the world came into being and such, to seek the very origin which started it all; various theories were proposed. There might have been an ancient being which was powerful enough to shape the world to its current form, which many thought to be credible. But nopony actually knew it for sure.
Actually, the answer was so simple; it was there in Canterlot all along, and she was facing it right now: the book. The world was actually made up, and everything began to exist only after it was written on the book. The book controlled everything. Her entire life was dictated by a force she could never betray, but to obey and follow; it would have made a worst nightmare she could face, except that she was actually inside it, and could never hope to wake up, because it was the reality she was living in. What was she going to do? What could she do? Activate the power of elements to something that was not actually evil at all, but just the principle making up the basic structure of the world?
“So I was not wrong. Until now.” Twilight said. She still prayed for the tiniest possibility of Princess Celestia saying this was all a joke, though she couldn’t ever expect her to be so cruel. But cruel joke she would have greatly welcomed it.
“Until the book said otherwise.” The Princess finally spoke.
Twilight breathed slowly and deeply, trying her best to continue her respiratory process. “I don’t know what to think of this, Princess Celestia. I really hope I’m dreaming. But the more I hope, the more I’ll probably realize that it’s not going to happen. I think this must be real. A fictional reality. We may all live in this book then. We are like-no, we are fictional characters inside the book, are we not? I hope it’s not, but there’s no way I can see it otherwise.” Twilight said. She noticed the Princess’ face not changing even a slightest bit from her previous concerned look.
The mood changed too suddenly and very dramatically-from a simple inquiry to realizing the ultimate truth, which in Twilight’s perspective was better left alone, never to be discovered. She should have never come to Canterlot. She shouldn’t have sent the letter at all. She was curious, wanted to investigate the peculiarity she had discovered. It was probably written on the book all along, and so it happened, Twilight acting as the book said. Her every action and thought she was influenced by the book.
“Twilight, I know how you feel. I am sorry. I wish you’d never come to know this. I tried to keep it secret to all, even to my beloved sister. Though she came to know the truth as time passed; eventually, she accepted the fact. But still, it was really hard for her to accept it.” Princess Celestia sighed, the sound of a great darkness descending down on Twilight and shrouding her.
“If it said on the book, there is no way to avoid it…is there?”
Princess Celestia shook her head.
“The storm, Ponyville history, me finding out this truth. All because the book said so.”
Princess Celestia nodded.
Twilight thought she was going to cry, but strangely did not. It was strange, because she thought her crestfallen state was not much different from the time when Discord had succeeded in converting her friends away from her. The same sense of desperation seized her, this time only greater. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she could not do much about it. It was not a matter of difficulty; there was no way she could oppose the book. Discord could have been defeated; he was evil, as he was the Spirit of Disharmony, against Equestria and the power of the Elements. What she and her friends had been facing was the chaos as opposed to the order. Though it was difficult, the fact that the Draconequus lie encased in his stone statue was the definite proof that he could be overcome.
But what if they were facing the ultimate order itself, ordaining everything from the very beginning till the very end? The power of the elements was useless; it had power because the book said so. Nopony could challenge its maker, the one who made everything to its current shape, and which probably had the power to shape the future as well, knowing everything in advance.
“It can’t be that simple. There has to be a reason for everything. But this is…so silly. A book. We’re here because of this book. We’re under its power.” Twilight said. She thought she was repeating her words. It became more difficult to remember. All she could think was the book. Of how it could change everything without she even realizing it. Suppose, she thought. Suppose if the ‘author’ of the book-whoever she was-fixed what was written there? Was the world going to change?
No, she needed not to make any suppositions at all. The book hard already demonstrated it for her. Of course the world could change, and it already did. Ponyville was now 76 years old instead of hundreds, and everypony-or at least most ponies-thought it to be that way from the start. Princess Celestia said that the book explained why everything happened. From the Princess' words Twilight’s logic quickly deduced that the book contained the record of everything, literally everything of the world.
Anything could change, including her entire life without she even realizing it.
Waking up tomorrow she may have never have been Twilight Sparkle at all, but something entirely else. Perhaps a dragon, a tree, or something she could have never dreamed of. She could never remember her friends, including Pinkie, who always told her she would be there for her.
But how, she wondered. Twilight chuckled. “So, I now know my whole life is subject to this book, like everything else I know. What happens if it is destroyed?” It was probably the feeling of utter desperation that made her bold. What was the point of everything? The book was going to determine her future, her feeling, and everything that was part of her being.
“It cannot be destroyed.” Princess Celestia quickly replied. “Not even with the fire from the Sun. I have actually tried with the pieces taken out, just to make sure. It was intact.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about suddenly disappearing then. Oh wait, what if somepony just erase my name? Then I am gone forever, right?”
“No, that cannot happen.”
“How do you know? Did you try it out?” Twilight stared at Princess Celestia. Step two: showing aggression. Twilight thought it with a bitter heart. “Sorry, Princess Celestia. But I really don’t know how to react to this. I feel…so powerless. Everything I do is not what I exactly do, but what the book commands me to do.” What was the point? The voice echoed inside her head.
“I understand. No need to apologize, my dear student. Luna had the same look on your face right now when I told her the book. It was more than a thousand years ago-she read the part where it said she was going to be Nightmare Moon.” Princess Celestia became quiet for a moment. “She was shocked beyond words, of course. It was bound to be tragic. After managing to gather herself, Luna solemnly vowed that she would never become Nightmare Moon, nor ever succumb to the darker part of her mind.”
“But she could not.” Twilight said. “Because the book said so.” She felt sick saying the word over and over. ‘Because the book said so.’ The word, nevertheless, seemed so powerful, rendering her effort to not to utter it useless. The book was what made things happen, its power dangerously randomized. There could be no way to fight that.
“And the book.” She felt it was hard to continue, the imaginary stone inside her constantly multiplying, now feeling their presences in her lung. “The book which I tried to find. I guess it’s gone. I mean it’s gone for good. Wait, not even gone; now it must have never existed in the first place. Because the book I see right now changed.”
Trying to orientate herself, Twilight stood still for a moment. How long had the time passed since she entered the chamber? She couldn’t allow her frustrations to be revealed before Princess Celestia. She was her beloved and favorite student, and was expected to not to let her down.
But why bother? Nihilism sounded much favorable to Twilight now. Everything simply didn’t matter for her. An hour, a day, or for an eternity. Only the book knew, and she couldn’t care less, unless the book said otherwise, which was highly unlikely judging from how she felt.
I have to keep it together. I can’t slip. I am better than this.
No, there was no need to. Keep trying, then what? Even if she did not do anything, the fact was that her act had been already predetermined. Everything could be explained with no exceptions. The idea was now deeply enrooted within her, constantly growing, gnawing her mind, and not allowing a slightest chance to be removed.
Her logic didn’t stop, ever so curious and eager to quench its thirst; Twilight was not the one to blame Pinkie of her sometimes overly inquisitive nature. It was one common ground she had with the pink pony. The desire to know has what eventually led her to defeat Nightmare Moon; if she didn’t take interest in the story of Nightmare Moon which many thought as an old pony’s tale, she would have never met her friends. She wanted to know, and it was her decision which led to her current state, which she thought was very satisfying, a life she could happily indulge into and enjoy.
Then the book appeared out of nowhere; it perhaps had preyed upon her since the beginning of time and the world was created, seeking the right moment to strike, the fact already decided without she even knowing it.
And as the book said, she was to come to this point. All of what she achieved was not her own, but the product of the book. The book set it all up, and if it wanted to it could change everything. To deny was impossible, at least within her logical framework which seldom failed her. The book was a direct challenge posed to her very identity of which she thought to be, but could actually be changed by a mere whim of the writer. Twilight fully recognized the ultimate order that had power to shape the world she lived in, commanding her for its own purpose she did not dare to think.
“Twilight, are you okay?” Twilight heard the pink pony saying her name. There was a sense of déjà vu; though there was a difference in this time in that Pinkie’s comforting words hardly mattered. It would have-and it should have-made Twilight feel better, had she not known the truth. But now even her friend’s sincere act out of compassion looked meaningless to her, she knowing it was bound to have happened one way or another. No longer could she look for Pinkie’s genuine effort to make others laugh. No longer to look for Applejack’s honesty, Rainbow Dash’s loyalty, Rarity’s generosity, and Fluttershy’s kindness, because they were not genuine at all, but simply produced by the book, as it had dictated her friends.
And most importantly, no more faith upon her power as a wielder of the power of the elements; it was the book that controlled it, not her.
“I’m fine. Just a little bit…startled.” Twilight felt no guilt in lying, not even having a slightest pinch inside her chest. She was going to lie, and no feeling of remorse was there to tell her that it was wrong. What else could happen besides what the book had set for her? The more she looked, the more she despaired, sadness swiftly descending down upon her. She had no choice but to follow, trapped inside the boundary the book had made, doomed to stay there-and all the worse-know her state of never being able to escape. She was to be as the book had told her to be.
What Twilight thought she was doing-no, actually, she was wrong; she was only following the instructions the book had instilled upon her. That was the only way how she could perceive the whole situation. It was indeed grim, but she had to accept, because she could not find any fault with it, being impeccable of any objection, fatally perfect.
Shortness of breath, feeling dizzy, with the sickening tingling inside her stomach-the breakdown process was rapidly progressing. It took quite a time before she thought she could speak again, managing to recover from her train of thoughts which had gone badly strayed. “At least I know where your Pinkie senses come from. Now I can say I understand everything. It was my wish, actually. To know how the world operated. I thought I couldn’t ever reach such state of knowledge, because the world always looked so complex, full of intricacies and wonders which I could only approach it from a whole different perspective that I never had. But it was so simple. The book controls everything. I cannot say anything but that.”
She could no longer pay much attention to the stone inside her. It was no longer an issue anyway; the extra weight was to stay, and she was to become used to it. “So is this the reason why you called me, Princess Celestia? To tell me that the world was nothing but some writer’s imagination?”
“Twilight.“ Princess Celestia was about to say something, though her words were promptly halted by the pink pony.
“Hold on a second! Excuse my interruption, but I just thought of something really really important.” Not sounding sorry at all (though to her she indeed was) Pinkie made a scrunchy face. “Hmm. So Twilight thinks our world is like a dream? Well, I don’t think so. Cause I read the book, and found out something that you should know.”
Twilight looked at Pinkie. She did not even felt like arguing. Did it matter anyway that Pinkie had read the book? She didn’t know, of course; nonetheless the book knew it all, and she couldn’t do anything about it. The pink pony was trying her hard to ignore the terrible truth, wasn’t she? Valiant effort, though it was ultimately bound to fail.
Completely unaffected by Twilight’s disinterested gaze, she continued. “So I was thinking: if the world we live inside is a book, then aren’t our life a fiction, Princess Celestia?”
“Why, yes, Pinkie. I have come to the conclusion after dedicating a significant amount of time to study the book. If it did not talk about our very own lives, I would have thought it was a very comprehensive novel that had a very vivid, detailed description of absolutely everything a novel could contain. And it is a fine book that will ensure the readers a satisfying entertainment. Which makes sense-it will have to be in such panoramic in order to ‘create’ a world.” Princess Celestia immediately replied. Twilight saw she turning her look towards her. “And this is a very important fact that you must take, for I have only told half of my explanation. It is indeed true to say that the book controls everything in this world; and that includes me as well. However.”
However-so what? Twilight feigned interest as she raised her head to look at the Princess. Only half-the other half was probably more terrifying. Even Princess Celestia, who was the most powerful being in Equestria, was subject to the book, and she openly admitted the fact, confirming Twilight’s fear, completing her state of despair. What else?
“That just makes the whole matter all the more depressing to take.” Twilight said dryly. No longer was the sheer terror in her eyes, but only the feeling of a resignation remained. She had to accept it, no matter how she hated it. The book was her master; she could never even think to betray it. She wanted to think that way, but-probably because the book said so-her logic denied any possibility. How could she dare oppose what made her in the first place? “I suppose we all don’t have much of a choice but to face it.”
Twilight knew Pinkie wasn’t a pony who gave up easily; her tenaciousness was truly admirable; though, only that, but nothing more. Pinkie was smiling, undaunted by her grim words. “Oh, just you wait. I’m thinking. And I’m thinking like you, Twilight. I’m in fact being very scientific here, calmly assessing the situation and forming a ‘hypothesis,’ so to speak. I just have this feeling about the book. A book you say? Now if I could just say what my mind’s hinting to me right now. I just have to interpret them. There are signs. Yes, signs I think I can get. Let’s see…”
“Good luck with that. But we already know what that book does.” If the book said so, Pinkie could figure it out. If not, it didn’t matter, because it was bound to happen. She was trying her best to remain positive. Good for her; if she could take it happily the fact that her entire existence meant nothing more than a few sentences written on the book and which could so easily change.
The pink pony was oblivious to Twilight’s remark, her eyes shining and her predatory nature once again activated, tracking down what it sought for. “Oh, I think my idea is really interesting. A book which works like a fiction…and as you had often said before, if A is similar to B then A must work pretty much like B. That sounds cool and professional, and I think it’s pretty scientifically reasonable. Don’t you think so?”
Twilight merely nodded, not even bothering to say yes. What was Pinkie up to? The book sure had made the pink pony quite an enigmatic one to understand.
Not minding Twilight’s featureless look at all, Pinkie still grinned, her face blooming joyfully. “Good, very good. So if this book is like a fiction, then it must work like a fiction! It all makes sense. The world we live in is a fiction!”
Twilight shook her head. For a moment a tiny bit of her was expecting a miracle to happen-but she was surely getting desperate to expect one from the pink pony. Please, no more reminding of the grim fact, she quietly said to herself. “And that’s what I said just before.” Was Pinkie going to say that she was her friends and then everything was going to be all right despite knowing their friendship was as stable as a glass window amidst falling rocks?
“Don’t be so disappointed, Twilight. You see, I was feeling like you very sad, because I too thought it was actually not that much fun to know our whole world is inside a book. But then I realized something very important: the world works like a fiction, then there’s simply no need to worry. But to make things sure, I will have to ask Princess Celestia if my ‘hypothesis’ is okay.”
Twilight titled her head, wondering what she was up to as Pinkie rushed towards the Princess and whispering to her. It was the least of what she could expect. Then again, she would have never dreamed the presence of the book in the first place, and all the more it only proved that the book had made Pinkie to do so. Her thoughts were now solidified beyond doubt, and it told her she was going to be disappointed again, that her observation was futile.
After hearing Pinkie’s whisper, Princess Celestia nodded. “Hmm, yes, I have thought the same. It has to be that way, if this world was to exist in this form till now.” There was a small smile on her face.
“Aha! I knew it. It was a fiction after all.” Pinkie too, was smiling, only more confidently and triumphantly. “Then the mystery is solved. Well, it's not exactly a mystery, but it sure was hard to figure it out!”
The curiosity inside Twilight’s mind tingled as she saw Pinkie’s blissful expression; it was now set to work once again, like the time she tried to identify Pinkie’s extraordinary sensory perception. She thought it was going to be futile anyway, though she wanted to know what Pinkie was saying. Wanting to know-it was what led her to this. Why not one more try? It couldn’t make things worse for her.
“Pinkie? You might want to explain a bit more…” The desperation Twilight was feeling was slowly being replaced by Pinkie’s enigmatic words. It was a very slight change, but one that instantly made her to reconsider her situation. Both Princess Celestia and Pinkie were smiling- there was a change in the overall atmosphere, from downright gravity to more warming one, and it was enough to make her interested.
It didn’t seem right to her. There was no way that they could be so suddenly elevated of their mood; the book was to reign supreme. But was there something they knew that she did not recognize?
No, it couldn’t. The fact did not change. So were they just pretending to be fine just to reassure Twilight? Too bad for them; nothing could make her feel better, she knowing that the book had planned everything in advance. Her mind had lifted up for a second-till it plunged down even further. “What are you talking about?” Still she spoke, because, as the book must have said about her, she wanted to know.
“Don’t you get it? The world is a fiction-and a very good one! And everypony knows a good book needs to have a good, solid plot. Actually, that’s what you’ve said about books. Remember? A writer needs to create a storyline that appeals to the readers.” Pinkie giggled.
“What she means is that the book is bound to this world as much as the world is bound to it.” Princess Celestia said. “And that is the other half of the truth about this book. The relationship is always a mutual one; a story needs to have a plot, characters, and settings. When one decides to write a book, she will have to consider all of those factors, making sure they are harmoniously blended, complementing each other; once they are set, even their maker cannot freely change them.”
“And that’s because they are part of that particular story. You just can’t suddenly turn your pony character to, say, a dragon! Because that will make the plot pretty poor, and the book will not be so good. Well, if you can think of a proper reason then it might work, but it will have to make sense so that readers can understand how it happened. Think, Twilight! Imagine you’re an author and write a book. You think of characters, the settings, and the plot, and many thing else that a novel needs. But you have to frame each in a way that everything fits together, or else the book does not make a good story. I mean, me and AJ and Rarity and Dash and Fluttershy and you being all friend is a good story, and if I were an author I would not ever fix that. Because that’s what it good, what it makes our story so wonderful. And that’s how we became all friends-because of Dash’s sonic rainboom! That, I say, is one wonderful plot that would make a reader instantly fall in love with the story!”
Twilight looked at Pinkie. Her machine of a mind was processing the new information she had just received, analyzing it in lighting speed for her to consider. Could it be? The idea was strange, but so was the book which was the answer to everything. “So….the book can’t just change what is written there?” But not yet, her reason spoke in a grim voice. You just wait; it made sense in a way, but you could never be so sure. It could be a false hope, but still…
“Of course! Make a guess. I love guessing games, especially the one I can surely guess. If the book can really change anything, then I can’t just remain as a Pinkie Pie. But ever since I realized I was Pinkie I am Pinkie. Suppose the book said that I am no longer your friend but instead a very lonely filly who has nopony as her friends-but that’s not going to happen, because if it were to happen I would lose my ‘Pinkieness,’ and that would make the book look so bad. And don’t you think it fits me perfectly that I can read the book? Oh, it’s hard to explain, but I think it just appeared in my dreams! Oh well, you know, ‘breaking the fourth wall!’ That’s what the book said about me when I read it. And I am sure it’s not going to change, because if you erase that part it’s not fun, loses the appeal. My character would be ruined, and a writer wouldn’t’ want that.”
Pinkie, always so random, sometimes seemingly more magical than Twilight herself-and her characteristics were to stay, because those were what made Pinkie. It made sense. It made. Twilight looked at the Princess. Perhaps. Perhaps? What was she going to say?
“Pinkie here is right. This book is about this world and Equestria, and it tells the story of this world to those who read it in a style of a novel. You need not to fear about losing your memory. Because once the world is created, the book can no longer freely interfere as it had done before; it has to abide to the rules it have made.” Princess Celestia stood up. Her horns glowed as she brought another book for Twilight and Pinkie to see. “This book I am holding right now-it does not hold power like the book I have showed you before. But it does tell about Equestrian history. And yes, Ponyville in here is written as having a history of 76 years-but what’s more important is that by this book we know that Equestria is a world of harmony and friendship, and it will continue to be so-I and Luna have used the power of the elements to reestablish Equestria after Discord’s reign-everything indeed went according to what was written on the book."
Twilight thought she could stand up, strength returning to her legs. “But then…what about Nightmare Moon and Discord?” Maybe. Maybe? She felt her heartbeat rising. Steady, steady…she could be despaired ever more. No sense of false security could be allowed to take her. “They almost succeeded in overthrowing you. And Chrysalis as well. She actually beat you in a single combat! Are you sure that Equestria is really a world of hope as you say? It just…don’t look so hopeful to me.”
“You did defeat all of them in the end.” Princes Celestia said calmly. “The book had to make it that way, or else it would have made no sense. The book will have to make sure that the world we live in is full of hope where the good will always prevail the evil.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Because, Twilight, the author who wrote this book was not intending to write a horror novel, but a book of hope, of inspiring those who read it, showing how wonderful of a world Equestria is. I have read the book many times, and each time I read it, my impression does not change.” Princess Celestia paused for a moment. “…Though hope can’t be complete without obstacles blocking its brilliance. It was…sad that Luna had to suffer. I am also terribly sorry for what happened when Discord was released from his prison. But you are all here, and I see that as a proof of the author’s intention, as well as she keeping the rules that make this world to function.”
“Um…”
“Do you not think it is strange that Discord was released exactly one year after you defeated Nightmare Moon? Of how you were able to hatch Spike from the egg? Of how you and your friends have gathered together to activate the Elements of Harmony, and your cutie-mark all appeared as soon as Rainbow Dash made her first Sonic Rainboom? Everything fits perfectly together, as if there was a mastermind planning everything, so that the story can progress-story about Equestria, a land where friendship is magic, and works wonders.”
“Oh…I see.”
Twilight sat down, her tension now all eased up. It was strange that her life was like a fiction; even stranger was the fact that she knew it.
It didn’t sound so bad-the book, according to Princess Celestia, was subject to the world it had made. Equestria was made as chaos defeated, harmony established-and the fact could not change.
Though one issue still remained for her. “But…then why did the book change Ponyville history?”
Princess Celestia heartily laughed. “Oh, honestly, I do not know why the book did so. I assume it has to do something with Granny Smith-though that is only my assumption.”
“What does the book say?”
“Well, it says the change is done in order for the story to ‘get going’…”
“Oh.”
“Rather anticlimactic, don’t you think so?” Princess Celestia said.
As Twilight entered the place the Ponyville archive greeted her, with the smell of old papers that were at least hundreds of years old.
“I should thank you, Twilight. Not many youngsters nowadays are interested in old documents-what do they teach at school nowadays? They should feel honored that this town has this rich source of materials about its history! Well, anyway, if you need me please don’t hesitate to call me. Though I’m sure a fine pony as you would have no problem finding what you need here.” The Mayor said.
“Thank you, Mayor. I really appreciate your help.”
“Anytime.”
Twilight waved until the Mayor disappeared from her view. Time to get to work. Yesterday Pinkie told her that the book has been changed. What now? Was it Ponyville history again?
Section A-1. The earliest history of Ponyville document could be found here. Twilight picked the scroll, coughing a bit as she accidently inhaled the ancient dust that had accumulated over many centuries. Taking a deep breath, she opened it.
Pinkie laughed. “Oh really? So whatever happened to Wagon Trail then?”
“Apparently he is the one who founded Appleloosa…though I really think that doesn’t make much sense. Oh, and the book I tried to find, now it is a book about Appleloosan history. Makes sense, I should say.”
“Hmm. But was Ponyville still founded by Granny Smith’s parents?”
“It seems so. And you know what?”
Pinkie looked at her. “Hmm?”
“Ponyville is more than six hundred years old. The document said that it was exactly 656 years old... So, that means Granny Smith must be much older than that.”
Pinkie laughed. “Interesting! That’s a good news!”
“Why?”
“Why you say? It means we can live up to that much as well! Imagine all the adventures and fun we will have for the next couple hundreds of years!”
“Yeah…um…”
“Sure, we’ll face many evils like we did before-but hey, this is a book about friendship! And naturally friendship will what will make our life so interesting.”
“It might be hard…that means there will be others who will threaten Equestria.”
“And that’s the spirit!”
Twilight sighed. “Well said Pinkie. Well said.” Hundreds of years. She wondered whether the author could think of enough ‘villains’ for them. She, with her friends, was going to face the countless obstacles-and they would triumph.
Because the book had said so.
