"Time is What You Make It"

by Plushie Penguin

Rating: teen
Tags: Drama, Slice of Life
Length: 1127

Twilight asks her mentor a complicated question. It seems the answer is far more difficult to explain.

Twilight asks Princess Celestia a very complicated question. Celestia knows the answer, but sometimes putting the answer into words is more difficult than it seems. Especially when knowing can have serious consequences.

Written in Celestias POV.

These characters are not my own. They fully belong to Hasbro and DHX Media.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2017-04-24 11:51:06 UTC

"Princess, what is Time?"

Time is complicated.

I have always thought about time. How does one simply have more time, while another doesn't have any?

I have waited for millennia to answer that question. I simply just had time to worry about such petty curiosities. I had time to do countless things. Countless.

It had always bothered me that I had merely been put on a pedestal just for the sole fact of being immortal. For the sole fact of being able to do what most cannot. For having time.

I guess I had waited long enough to see when my time had finally run out. Only to find out that it doesn't.

                              ~ o 0 o ~

I had woken up a little late today. Yet one minute late for the sun to rise up can cause a riot. I decided I was to be served breakfast in bed today. I would not have time to raise the sun in time otherwise.

I passed the seemingly endless hallways, spotting my sister along the way. We exchanged pleasantries and continued to our duties. You see, being Princess means you don't get the luxury of "taking a break". You need to be above standards at all times, getting used to the formal way of life.

I, at first didn't quite understand the true purpose of having a Day Court. To be perfectly honest, I still considered it to be somewhat pointless. It is after all, just a meeting that really doesn't bring much of a change. However, it had to be done.

I opened the large doors and took a seat. The meeting was about to begin.

                             ~ o 0 o ~

A few minutes had passed, and I was waiting patiently for my faithful student to arrive. The young alicorn had much to learn.  But today was somewhat different. Twilight had insisted on coming. Other than that I really don't know what to expect.

Soon after, the doors were softly opened, revealing Twilight and Spike. "Hello Twilight, my faithful student," I said, giving her a soft hug.

"Princess, I wanted to ask, It's okay if you don't really have time right now but," Twilight was clearly hesitant and that made me curious,"I was wondering about time."

I stopped still. "What about it?"

"I mean Starlight had changed time and, well I couldn't really find any books regarding to what I'm looking for. I thought maybe you would know, since you, well, you know."

I in fact did know. I was practically immortal after all. Surely I must've known something. And she was right. I do know a lot about time. However, she clearly didn't.

"Twilight, are you sure you want to know?"

                             ~ o 0 o ~

Time is a difficult thing to understand. It took me over centuries to finally realise.

Time moves, yet doesn't. Time exists, but at the same moment, time vanishes. It's confusing really. Which is why I always rejected anypony who wished to know. They simply would not understand.

Time heals ponies. Without time, wounds, physically or mentally, wouldn't heal. It took me a very long time to forgive myself for what I have bestowed upon my little Luna. It still pains me when I remember my deeds. I could have merely talked to her, but no. I just had to ignore her like the pathetic pony that I am.

Time is forgiving. You can let a mistake die down over long periods. Such as a rumour. Once it is said, it will spread. Once it is spread, it can't be erased. But soon, ponies may forget about it altogether. They may not even remember even talking about it. In some cases, the pony who made the rumour, even they might not recognise that same rumour. It is with time all of these things happen.

Time is manipulative. You change one little thing in the past, and the future becomes a completely different place. You fix a mistake to better the present, but instead it turns into something even worse. The ponies who tore the fabric of time and space, completely decimated into thin air.

Time is dangerous. Too much knowledge, too much for one's brain to comprehend. Once a pony knew too much, and tried a time spell, they could be forever lost to the never ending river of past, future and present. One such as Starswirl, made that tragic mistake.

Time corrupts. It corrupted even the most powerful and reasonable of ponies. Time corrupted Sombra. He was perfectly fine before he started doing dark magic, which was indeed, a very subtle modification of time magic. I, of course, wasn't in any place to stop his curiosity. Despite my warnings, he continued onwards, not knowing what dark magic could do.

In truth, time is everything. Time is the past, present and future. Everything that happened and is happening. Everything meant to happen to absolutely all. Time is destiny. Which is why it is so deadly. It is poison. Its knowledge is both a gift, and a curse.

So many have fallen to the same question that my student had asked. So many have faced its consequences. I found it hard to explain what time really is. Even harder to her since she's an alicorn. Unaffected physically by time itself. I struggled to find an answer simple enough for Twilight to understand, yet not so simple that it doesn't explain time itself. I couldn't let her make the same mistakes as the others. But I felt as if she had to know now. If she was to become what she was destined, she had to know.

It was hard, you know. Hard to always be expected to know the answers to everything. Yes, I am aware that I do know the answer to Twilight's question. I am aware I don't have to even answer it. But I should. And I will.

I just had to find the right words.

                            ~ o 0 o ~

"Of course I do princess. Who wouldn't give up on raw knowledge such as this one?"

I snapped out of my thoughts.

I sighed and gave a slight smile. Typical Twilight. Always the curious one.

"So?" She asked, rather impatiently.

"My faithful student, the answer is very simple. Time is corruption and medicine, poison and antidote, past and future. You have to be careful with it. In other words, time is a choice.  Time is what you make it. And I hope you, Twilight, will make your time into a memorable one."

She looked at me with a confused expression.

I walked out of the throne room and closed the double doors with a soft thud.

She'll understand someday.

She just needed time.

And she had plenty.