"Is forever a long time to live?" The question, from Twilight Sparkle, cut through the current conversation suddenly, leaving both Princess Celestia, and impressively, Minuette speechless for a moment. As both pairs of eyes turned to consider Twilight felt the need to explain herself. "Sorry to interrupt princess, Minuette, but... I couldn't hold off any longer, that's why I came to Canterlot in the first place!"
Celestia looked a little bemused while Minuette didn't look too surprised, which at first puzzled Twilight, but then again she hadn't planned on seeing Minuette today, she just happened to see her and they started talking as Twilight came to the castle, so Minuette had to know she had some other reason for coming. "And what brought that question on, Twilight?" Celestia's question brought Twilight out of her thoughts.
"Oh... Well, you see now that I'm more used to being an alicorn it occurred to me that you and Princess Luna are immortal... Am I?" Celestia nodded as if she had been expecting something along those lines. Her smile was kindly, sure she was going to be giving welcome news.
"The short answer is no, the longer answer is that you will outlive your friends, which I'm sure is crux or your question." Celestia knew though that Twilight was going to dig into why, but Celestia would wait, and see if Twilight wanted to figure it out herself, or just ask.
Forgotten by both the princesses Minuette sat off to the side, snacking on one of the pretty bouquet's that sat around the throne room. She liked snacking, it was one thing that made life so much fun, very preferable to just having to sit around and watch, watching was interesting and all, but watching with a snack at hand was all the better. From her observations, while Twilight loved research, Minuette's guess was that Twilight wouldn't wait for this answer. "That's good, but why princess?" Evidently, the assumption was correct.
Celestia nodded, still smiling, she may have, at other times, told Twilight to research the answer, but not on this subject, it was too important to her to put off. "Well, you see, we alicorns all get our magic from different sources. Your magic from your friends. And once your five friends move to the next world, your alicorn magic will fade shortly after, and you too will journey onwards." Celestia rose a hoof to forestall an, assumed, coming objection. "I know you have other friends Twilight, which brings me no end of joy, but they are not tied closely to your magic, like the other elements of harmony are."
Twilight nodded for a moment before looking thoughtful. "So does that mean that after Shining Armor..." She stopped herself from saying 'dies' she liked Celestia's wording better. "Moves on, Cadence will follow him soon after?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, Cadence will outlive you him by quite a few lifetimes. She is the princess of love, not of romance Twilight. She will live for quite a long time on the love for Flurry Heart, and any other children they have, as well as their grandchildren, and so on. So she will eventually move on as well, but not for a good many centuries. And depending on Flurry Heart longer than that. Until her line ends most likely."
"I would not be so sure of that." Both the princesses started slightly as Minuette spoke up, having finished her snack of flowers she looked at the two princesses. "Her powers are based off love, and I'm not going to make an argument about love being infinite, or finite. But wouldn't it be that at the time the love for those who have moved on, would overcome the love she has for those here, and so she too would then move on?" The princesses continued to stare at Minuette, who unabashedly retrieved another bouquet, and started a second snack.
It was a good ten seconds before Celestia managed a response. "Uh... Yes, that is also possible." Twilight was still staring at the other mare, Twilight had never even thought for a moment that there would be such a thoughtful pony under that snacking, fast-talking, excitable exterior that was Minuette. Twilight was a bit ashamed of that realization, not everyone who was smart needed to be quiet and bookish, like her.
Twilight shook her head to clear it, smiling and bowing lowly to the princess. "Well that was what I came here to ask you, I'll stop taking your time, and maybe save you a few bouquets." Glancing over at Minuette on her third bouquet, drawing a wry grin from Celestia Twilight turned to leave the throne room, joined by Minuette. Twilight looked at Minuette out of the corner of her eye.
Catching sight of the assessing gaze Minuette smiled. "Donuts?"
"Certainly" Came Twilight's response. The two trotted happily towards the donut shop, passing by where the statue of Discord once stood, causing Twilight to pause and nod to herself. "I suppose Discord will be with the princesses until the end." A quiet clearing of the throat cause Twilight to turn and look at Minuette who shook her head slightly as her.
"None of those three are immortal Twilight." Twilight's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, Minuette had as nearly as possible just uttered heresy! Nearly as possible for a people who didn't really have a religion to speak of.
"What are you talking about? Even if Discord isn't immortal of course Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are!" There may have been a slight emphasis on the times Twilight said 'Princess' there.
Minuette shook her head again. "Well, remember what Princess Celestia said. When your alicorn magic fades you will too. You've studied the stars haven't you Twilight?"
Twilight nodded, looking slightly confused. "Well yes, of course, I've studied astronomy, but what doe.. Oh." Twilight's confused look shifted into a frown.
Minuette smiled though. "Everyone and everything ends Twilight. Eventually, the sun will die, and Princess Celestia will fade, followed shortly by Princess Luna." Twilight opened her mouth but Minuette interrupted her. "And then Discord will fade too." At Twilight's curious look she nodded. "Think about it, Twilight. The universe is a fundamentally ordered place, it is us, things that think that make it disordered. If it wasn't for us the world would be governed purely by physics, wouldn't it? There would be no chaos."
Twilight nodded slowly and looked quite upset by all this. "Well... Eventually, everything we did will be... What? Dust, ash, rubble?" Minuette nodded but seemed completely content. "What? How does this not bother you!?"
Minuette was taken aback slightly by Twilight's outburst, blinking, stunned for a moment before smiling again. "Because that's not what life is about Twilight, you can't hide under a blanket and hope everything stays the same. And after all, there's what comes next too. You'll get to see everyone again!"
Twilight still looked a bit off put by the entire conversation, but she nodded, raising her head and smiling. "You're right! And besides, we still have a good while! And there are donuts! Race you!" A bit out of character for Twilight, but Minuette was sure Twilight wasn't actually racing against anything except the dark thoughts lingering in the back of her head.
Minuette watched her, smiling again, but this time, with a genuine sadness. For Minuette was not completely honest with Twilight. She was not exactly a pony either, she was... Something else. She wasn't even sure what she was, she's taken to calling herself The Observer, when not in a mortal form. She had been through the end of the universe a few times, it liked to reset itself. The beginning and end tended to be very, very boring, the first few times it was fascinating to watch, suns exploding, planets colliding, but now it was all old hat to her. It was really too bad she had nothing to snack on while she wasn't in a corporeal form. What she had said to Twilight was true, only living creatures with free will made things more than just a machine running through the motions.
Twilight would see her friends in the next life, she just wouldn't see Minuette, and Minuette wouldn't see her. She remembered all of her friends she'd known through the countless lifetimes, and she would remember Twilight as well. Minuette broke into a bit of a gallop to catch up with her friend, saying quietly. "Yes Twilight forever is a long time to live."
Author's Note
This was inspired by two things. A fan fic I read recently about everyone of the main six being dead except Twilight, and I've always back the Twilight isn't immortal perspective. Also I just like Minuette, so I wanted to do something with her, and her hourglass got me thinking about her having time travel powers, then perhaps her being immortal, and as a Marvel fan Uatu came to mind, so I thought it would be interesting to give her a similar kind of role, though with a bit of a sadder ending.
My first fan fic, I waffled a while on writing it but eventually I just said "Oh what the heck!" so here it is for you all to read, have a good one.
