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Elements:the many paths to eternity
Chapter 1: Discovering many roads, chooseing which to walk. (part 1)
Twilight casually chewed on the eraser of the pencil in her muzzle tail gently twitching back and forth behind her as she considered the notes in front of her.
"I got nothin." She finally stated as she looked over the notes for the maybe fifth time from the books she herself had been reading. "Myths and legends abound about ways to reverse age or to make one live longer but actively preventing someone from dying." She shook her head softly and grumbled in an annoyed fashion before glancing over towards applejack who was pouring thru a dusty book with some kind of tree on the cover, what had pointed her to it was the cover.
"Ah don't rightly know, ah think ah might have somthin but I'm not sure sugarcube." Applejack said with a soft shrug and a smile as she continued to pour over the text paying more attention to some details, flipping back to earlier pages and then back to where she was now and then comparing previous passages in the book to what she was reading and then moving to other books to look thru them too...she wasn't the smartest pony around sure even she was willing to admit that but AJ knew enough to get by and Twilight helped her with the parts she had trouble with.
"There's somethin' in here about a tree that's 'spose to grant wishes ta anyone that's 'true a heart' or somethin' like that, but the way ah findin' the dang thang is a bunch of hocus-pocus ah can't wrap my head around jus yet." she said as she flipped thru some pages again a look of concentration on her muzzle.
Rainbow Dash was flipping thru her own stacks of books, several 'unabridged' copies of daring do books, by that one meant daring's actual journals that she had lent to her number one fan when she had been told what they were attempting.
She'd mentioned that she had discovered an artifact at one point during one of her travels but couldn't remember where or when and had simply given RD the journals on the promise she would show nobody other than the elements, and they be returned when Rainbow dash was done with them.
"I think I found what Daring was talking about when she handed me these, she stumbled on the rumor when she was on her adventure in the temple of goons but never had a chance to follow up on it cause she didn't go back to that part of the world. Somewhere in Saddle Arabia there's supposed to be a powerful artifact that can grant its wielder 'the unending and eternal power of the wind' but, that's all she found out not where to look for it or even what it might be called. " She paused for a breath and then when she finished she grinned broadly.
"Sounds more than awesome enough for me and hey if it was spelled out for me it wouldn't be much of an adventure now would it" She clapped her hooves as she floated into the air visions of an adventure just like her hero daring do went on constantly danced in her brain. "Look out Saddle Arabia Rainbow 'danger' Dash is heading your way!"
Twilight shook her head. "Cool your wings Rainbow Dash don't go flying off half cocked." She said with a smile and a chuckle. "I know you're always eager for adventure but the deserts of Saddle Arabia can be a dangerous place filled with all manner of strange creatures and nomadic ponies, some of them with less than friendly intentions not to mention you know the sorts of nasty characters 'those' sorts of treasures tend to attract...do I need to list off every one of the villains Daring has faced, sure she may not have stared down discord but that puma monkey thing with the blue fur, definitely not pleasant."
Rainbow Dash nodded "His name was Ahuizotl, trust me I took the time to memorize how to pronounce it properly just in case I meet him again, he's not the type to be happy if you fudge up his name, and he will be ticked off at me enough as is after what I helped daring pull on him last time." She said with a chuckle and a shrug. "Not that he will give me too much trouble." she said smugly "I've improved a lot since then after all."
Twilight nodded and looked around. "Anypony else?" Rarity sighed and shook her head pushing another pile of books away and Fluttershy just looked into her cup of tea with a dejected expression having given up on her stack of scrolls about an hour ago after having utterly no luck.
"It's not looking like there's anything else in these scrolls here, um..." She looked around and ducked her head meekly. "Sorry...i tried i really did." She said looking so tiny and meek.
AJ chuckled at her and shook her head. "Shucks flutters, y'all dun need ta worry yer pretty head none over it we knew this would be a doozy from the get go, me and RD just got plum lucky is all...there's other places ta look ya know" she looked over at Twilight who was looking over her notes once more.
"Well there is...one other place we could check" Twilight said breaking the silence. "Well, two actually most of the books here are also in the Canterlot library but, Celestia is very particular about letting books out of her restricted section...we might find something there, and then there's the ancient library of the crystal empire there's books there that have been lost for a thousand years." Twilight said with a beaming smile.
---------------------------------------------------half a week later Canterlot----------------------------------------------------
Celestia sat on her throne with Luna at her side in her own, the newly redesigned throne room now expressed both of them as equals, as it should be, with the motif of the wall mural behind them of the sun and moon sharing the sky and even a touch here or there suggesting both Cadence and Twilight in there too.
Today however there normal schedule had been put on hold for a group of very special visitors, siting before them heads bowed respectfully for a moment were the heroes of Equestria, and personal friends to both of the royal sisters.
"Among those many benefits one stands out perhaps higher then the others because of its potential to allow me to do great things, but also the terrible burden it places on my shoulders." she shook her head "The weight of eternity is great indeed and though I hold myself well now it is because of have good friends to support me, friends who have stood by me thru it all and without whom I would not be who I am today." Celestia and Luna both looked down nodding and Celestia allowed herself a proud smile at her students humility in acknowledging those who had aided her to where she was.
After a time she continued. "I do not delude myself into thinking that I will never make new friends, I know that over the years I will have countless many and each and every one will be special, a snowflake in a storm by the time the last turns of time pass and I slip with creation into nothing countless but each and every one special and a treasure."
"But among those crystalline works of art there stand a precious few that are above the rest, those whose effect on my life rise above and beyond all others, gems among the snow glimmering beacons that draw all others to them by the example they set and the place they hold" She smiled at each of her friends once again, they had each helped her prepare this speech on the train ride here, it was mostly Rarity and Fluttershy really but the others had put in some too.
"These few...I find myself shuddering at the idea of being without, they are my pillars my rocks in the storm and without them i fear i will crack and shatter in the winds and be lost each of those you see around me are special treasures, priceless beyond any hope of replacement. " She spread her wings out as she spoke out louder leting her passion for her words fill her voice.
"There will never be another Applejack, never would there be one more awesome then Rainbow Dash, nary a soul more kind then Fluttershy who thru words and love alone tamed the spirit of chaos, no mind as creative or heart as giving as Rarity, and never a heart filled with more joy and laughter then pinkie pie." Each of the girls stepped forward as they were called out "For this reason among others I have asked of them and they have after consideration agreed to undertake a great quest, for once not for Equestria though it may yet benefit from it, but for us for them...to seek to find a way that we might remain together for all of time the elements of harmony forever united."
She bowed her head nuzzling and hugging her nearby friends as she stepped back giving the royal sisters there chance to respond to what it is she had said, Celestia was first clapping her hoves together with a smile on her face "That was a rousing speech my faithful student, my dearest young friend Twilight." she looked over the group and chuckled lightly "I feel almost bad that it was spent on just myself and my sister here truly such a moving thing perhaps you will recount it again for the ponies of Equestria before you embark on this great quest." twilight looked like she was about to say something else but Celestia raised a hoof to forestall.
"We understand why it is you have come to us now with this and we heartily approve of your actions in this regard." Luna said with a serene smile and that enigmatic look she was so well known for she was as unreadable as the dark side of the moon. "Many in your situation would fall into despair at worst or at best a grudging acceptance of the inevitable but you never were a mare to sit down and just let something happen, it is something we respect you greatly for young one." The princess of the night said with a glimmer of mirth in her tone as she saw twilight slack jawed expression.
"Did you expect us to discourage young princess of friendship, to condemn and forbid?" Luna said with a chuckle and a shake of her head stepping forward from her throne "You are hardly the first in this world to seek eternity dear ones, my friends and you will hardly be the last but i know in my heart if there are any that have the will and the strength to find that elusive goal it will be you and yes we shall provide you with any aid that it is within our power to give." she turned back to Celestia with a smile and asked "We will yes?"
Celestia nodded "and i think i know what specifically you have come here seeking, advice and access to knowledge...we can provide both come my little ponies let us adjourn to the dining room where we might discuss this further over lunch i have found over the years that one thinks best on a full stomach." Twilight shook her head rapidly as she tried to collect herself, out of all the things she had expected this, this was not one of them she had expected maybe a grudging acceptance after some convincing at best. Shed come up with a 3 foot long checklist of reasons why this was a good idea to try and sway her if she denied....all pointless now.
Still, better than the alternative she laughed with her friends as they all felt relief at this turn of events heading off to the dining hall following behind Celestia talking about old times and adventures now rather than the weighty topics to come just a group of friends having a get together.
-------------------------------------------------------------------deep in Everfree------------------------------------------------
Somewhere deep in the Everfree forest, in a small clearing with a beautiful lake where the normal dangers of the wood seemed to have just taken a detour around, within a cave carved into a cliff face sat the wondrous sight that was the tree of harmony the mother protector and avatar of the harmonic energies that guided and guarded Equestria since ages past...each of the six gems that dotted its surface had begun to glow a brilliant golden color, power beginning to gather.
"So it begins..." said a voice standing in the shadows cast by the glowing crystal tree.
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Elements:the many paths to eternity
Chapter 1: Discovering many roads, chooseing which to walk. (part 2)
Lunch was a pleasant pasta and salad of fresh garden greens and flowers with a very light apple vinaigrette, made from sweet apple acre's hard cider vinegar naturally. The six friends sat around the table chatting about such things as crossed there minds both about the quest ahead and the princess own long lives and the things they had seen during them.
"The moon may be a barren place but there is a stark beauty to it, and there is no greater view of the stars or Equus then from there." Luna said as she smiled a bit leaning back after having finished her own meal. "It was that very beauty I think that kept me from going truly mad to my core during my long exile." She cleared her throat. "Well that and the moon tribe of course, I really must apologize once more for there actions Rarity truly I must had I known they would go to such lengths I would have reestablished contact with them far sooner."
Rarity smiled and shook her head gently her mane swaying back and forth as she did, perfectly kept locks shining in the light streaming in from the rooms many windows. "Oh think nothing of it darling, it turned out alright in the end after all and honestly I barely remember any of it so I can't really gripe about it." She said with a shrug and a smile then returned to her own food. "To be honest I briefly entertained going that route for this actually, seeing if I could invoke the nightmare once more but this time control it, make it my own." She shook her head and laughed to herself. "But then I remember that you yourself could not do that, and if one of the wisest, strongest ponies I know of could not dominate that force then what hope do I have?"
Luna smiled at those words and preened a bit at the compliment, there had been a time when the reminder would have burned a little bit but she had long since gotten over it and she understood the words for what they were. "We are proud of your wisdom in realizing the folly of attempting to master the darkness, for indeed while it has been done in the past
"Whatever do you mean, darling?" She asked the princess of the night before taking another bite of the provided food set before her. "She hardly seems the type to me at least." Luna chuckled and shook her head.
"They rarely ever do, those who would master the dark arts require a certain way of thinking the will to wield, but the heart to not be wielded by." she said with a sagely tone. "Starlight Glimmer has tasted what wickedness can bring, and see the destruction that comes from it but she is still not afraid of using that destructive force to protect what she sees as important and this is exactly the mindset that is needed the understanding that is required to resist the snares and traps of the dark power sadly this is where you have fallen in both your times facing the dark." Luna stated in an understanding tone."First when you were touched by the 'inspiration manifestation' spell, and then when you were confronted with the remnants of the nightmare."
Rarity sighed and nodded. "Just so I suppose best not to chance it, third time might be the charm but then again it might also be the end of me and that is counter to the end goal here." She thought about something for a moment. "A thought has occurred to me, perhaps a foalish one but i feel it should be voiced just the same." All eyes turned towards her as she played with the food on her plate. "Would perhaps it not behoove us before we go thru all this trouble, to ask discord if he would be willing to aid us in this." The group all blinked and looked at each-other, Applejack frowned a little bit as did Luna though it was the former who spoke up on the issue.
"Sugarcube, ah dun mean ta rain on your parade, but despite all that hes done fer us in the last few years i dun think i would trust him tah not throw in some kinda trap or gag with it, not disparaging his redemption or nothing but its just in his nature...maybe Fluttershy could get away with it but...the rest of us." She paused and made a strained face. "Nah he might grant us it, but there'd be 'somethin' wrong with it, might make ya into a vampire or something." She looked around and shook her head. "You'd live forever sure but the cost oh that would be mighty high." A rolling laugh filled the hall deep and full of glee.
"Oh applejack you really 'do' understand me!" The draconiequss in question manifested in a flash of white light off to one side of the group with a tray of finger sandwiches, shaped like his actual fingers balanced on one paw munching on one of them before speaking again. "You are indeed correct, but not for the reasons you might think its not because i would 'want' to inflict such curses upon you but such are the only ways i would be able to grant such a request, for you see creating an eternal being is in effect the act of 'halting' entropy, disengaging chaos and the flow of free energy." he shook his head and held up a stopped clock with springs hanging out a sign hanging from it that read 'chaos out of order' hanging from it." it is an act that is the very inverse of my very being and is thus, totally beyond my power." He vanished and reappeared next to Fluttershy. "Even for my dearest and most wonderful Fluttershy, though I long with all my beating heart to keep her around for all time it is beyond my power to grant her that gift without inflicting something upon her to balance the loss." He sighed and shook his head again. "No you want my inverse, that stodgy crystal beast in the Everfree Harmony is the one who could give you that which you desire just as it has to your friend Twilight Sparkle there but good luck convincing it to do so, you KNOW what your poor friend had to go thru to convince it she was worthy and then even more to convince it she was worth giving more direct aid in the form of that map of yours."
Twilight sighed and nodded "I know, it was the first thing i thought of before we hoped the train to Canterlot i headed out into the woods and prayed before the tree for nearly an hour for aid, for a grant of it...nothing...harmony it seems is content to leave us to figure this out on our own." Discord grinned and shook his head
"Don't be so sure little princess, just because tall crystal and leafy didn't answer your plea doesn't mean it wont aid you indirectly, you needs just just 'earn' it...you will no doubt be tested, quite harshly in the days ahead...all of you, but keep to what makes you who you are, especially you my dearest Fluttershy, and you will find your way. "he clasped his paws together and once more vanished from the room.
---------------------------------------several hours later--------------------------------------
"What the buck does this even mean."
Shouted an annoyed Rainbow Dash trying to make heads or tails of a scroll she presently held in her hooves, Twilight moved over to look over the parchment and grimaced. "It's old equish, it looks to be a testament left by Clover the Clever regarding a discovery she made in the early day's of Equestria." She squinted at it a bit more closely " hmmm, nothing relevent to what were looking for though it looks like its an early version of modern healing droughts, its a nice historical record but not what we need." Rainbow Dash sighed and moved on to the next scroll in the pile then.
Pinkie was siting in the middle of the group making balloon animals when rarity looked over at her. "Pinkie darling are you going to look for something too?" Pinkie shook her head and finished a balloon copy of Discord.
"Nope, I dun need to." Rarity blinked a little bit and the others looked up from there own books and stared at her.
"what do ya mean you dun need to sugarcube?" Applejack asked with a tilt of the head and a quizzical expression. "Didja already find something suited to ya or something?"
Pinkie grinned at them. "Nope but my pinkie sense told me that once all of you find what your going to do I'll know what i need to...somehow."
the group turned to look at one another but years of dealing with pinkie and her pinkie sense made them just shrug "allrighty then" AJ said with a shrug if you say so.
and the search continued long into that night, and into the next day...this was going to take awhile....
Elements:the many paths to eternity
Prolouge: will you stay with me forever?
It was a simple thought, an idea that formed in Twilight's head in the days and weeks following her ascension to alicorn.
She the princess of friendship, the element of magic, the tamer of nightmare moon....was an alicorn, with all that came with it all the power, all the majesty, and all the responsibility but there was one thing, one tiny detail she had pushed aside for later in her mind...a detail that now reared its face to her and roared at her as she sat staring at a vase of wilted roses in her castles library.
Swiftly did she take out a quill, it sheathing in the lavender glow of her magic floating at her beck and call as she began to write out a carefully worded letter to a very special, very powerful pony.
Dear Princess Celestia
In recent months as you know things have been exceptionally peaceful in Equestria, more so then it has been in years with no ancient threats, no mysterious forces, no friendship lessons it seems to learn and this has left me with time to..
Twilight paused in her writing considering how to phrase what she needed to say what she wanted to...know...but did she truly wish to, she wasn't sure but the intellectual inside of her growled at her and reminded her that a lack of information was never acceptable, that a question once formed 'must' be asked...an answer must be found and so she continued.
...time to think about events of the past few years and of course as you know the highlight of that was my own raising to the race of alicorn, and the rank of princess i have long since asked of your role in my ascension and your honesty in admitting that it had little or nothing to do with you was very welcome but now i come to you with another question one born of my studies into the past and your own connection to Luna and events so long ago.
Celestia...am I, are we Immortal...i know we can die i have come close to it myself on a few occasions i have felt myself bleed, i know i can be hurt...but...baring grim death, will time not ravage us?
Twilight put the quill aside and stared at the parchment laying on the crystalline table, most of the furnishings in her castle were thus, save for the beds at least and perhaps a few bookshelves, she slid her hoof over the crystal...perfect, unchanging, immutable....it would be here years from now, decades centuries even if no catastrophic struck it...was she the same, living gemstone...never to fade or dull?
She began to pace back and forth as the thought echoed in her mind over and over again the implications of it staggering her, bits of her mane began to poke out to the side the more she thought about it muttering to herself "maybe i shouldn't ask maybe it really is better not to know, but....but if i know i can be ready for it i can" she stopped and twitched an eyebrow.
"i can make a checklist, of all the things i need to do before....before what, id have all the time in creation who needs a list when you would never run out of time..." she was breathing heavily now and stared at the parchment on the table before calling out.
"Spike i need you to send a letter for me" there was a grumbling reply from one of the nearby rooms to the library before spike, the small purple dragon with green frills and a very 'babyish' look to him walked thru the door and looked around spotting twilight looking almost as bad as she had during the whole 'want it need it' incident, which made spike twitch himself 'oh no here we go again' he thought to himself and then sighed walking over.
Twilight smiled gently at him and pointed to the scroll on the table with a hoof, he rolled it up and sealed it with some wax before giving it a jet of flame and sending it on its way, twilight began to hyperventilate even more as she paced back and forth spike arched an eyebrow.
"Geeze Twilight calm down, your acting like somepony is dying or something" he said starring at his sister in all but blood, the mare he was the number one assistant to she flinched at his wording and shook her head
"That's just it, somepony might 'not' be dying....ME! Spike....the princesses, there each over a thousand years old, a THOUSAND...w...what if....what if ill live that long, or longer! What if" she was panicking badly now pacing so fast she had to start flapping her wings to keep up with how fast her body wanted to go.
Spike groaned gently and sighed as he watched her knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop her once she reached this point, he'd have to let her ride it out, however as he was doing so he felt a familiar tingle in his throat and he belched loudly a cough of flame swirling up and forming into another sealed scroll dropping into his waiting claws he coughed again clearing his throat as he unrolled it and began to read.
My most faithful student It is with a heavy heart that a pen this answer to a question i hoped you would never ask for i dreaded to have to tell you...
Spike stopped for a moment "Woah heavy stuff." he commented then resumed reading.
...It is as you have come to realize my dear student...you are in fact quite immortal as all alicorns are, we are the physical embodiment of the aspect of this world and thus so long as those aspects exist so shall we endure.
So long as there is day and night...so long as there is love, so long as there is friendship.
We will endure eternally...I am sorry i know this is a heavy burden but take heart that you will have a great many years yet before you fully feel its weight, time I have found helps one to come to terms with even the most monumental of challenges.
Forever yours Princess Celestia
The addition of 'forever' to the traditional signature at the end was lost on neither the dragon nor the alicorn in the room.
----------------------------------------two days later---------------------------------------
Twilight sat at the map table with her friends each positioned in there own chairs, each had a variation of a solemn expression on there faces except of course for pinkie pie.
"Well this is awkward, I don't know what sort of cake to get for a 'congratulations you just found out your immortal' party." she commented putting a hoof to her chin, applejack rolled her eyes a bit nearby
"ah think yer missun the point here sugarcube" Flutershy spoke up next as she nodded .
"Yes I...its such a...hard thing to think about" she said just loudly enough to hear rainbow dash chuckled.
"Well, hey its still awesome though, you'll get to see what Equestria is like 1000 years from now, I bet it'll be epic with super techno magic gizmos and cities so tall they touch the sky..." she grumbled a bit. "and ill be stuck taking a dirt nap while you get to enjoy the view." she muttered blunt as ever rarity glared at her
"I think that's precisely the problem that twilight is trying to put forth, darling...Twilight is the Princess of Friendship after all...." she said and everyone nodded.
"...And one of the bestity best best-est friends i have ever met in my whooooole life." Pinkie said exuberantly.
Twilight just looked down at the tabletop, the map was turned off so it was just a smooth table there was nothing special about it at first glance she slowly circled a hoof on the crystalline top of the table, spinning it around and around wings drooping behind her as she thought of the monumental span of years that sat ahead of her, hundreds at least thousands maybe...
"I don't want to loose you." she finally said looking over all her friends. "I can....I cant think of, cant imagine a world without my dearest friends in it."
She laughed and nodded. "Though to be frank, I'm almost certain Starlight will make the jump to alicorn herself." she took a breath then continued "She has far to much magic coursing thru her not to...she just needs to learn friendship, to master harmony and find her role in it, something I'm...quite sure shes capable of...and you of course being a dragon will live thousands of years already"
Rarity blinked "Wait, really?" she asked askance. "Spikey Wikey will...out live me by...that long"
Twilight smiled sadly."He will probably be giving your great great grand-foals piggy back rides Rarity."
Rarity blinked again and tried to picture it and failing that she promptly fainted, ever the over dramatic filly it seemed Twilight sighed as she looked over her friends the somber mood hung in the air like a wet rag as no words were said for a long few minutes....then it was at last pinkie pie who spoke up first
"What if she was there giving them rides too...." twilight snickered
"And how would she go about doing that?" she said with a smirk "I love you all i really do, your my best friends but i know enough to know that none of you have the magic in you for...well this." she spread her wings out and shrugged "Not even Rarity." Applejack stared at the table.
"But, being an alicorn ain't the only way ta stand the test passin' of the seasons...is it?" she asked.
Twilight raised a hoof and opened her mouth to speak, to state that it in fact was but then she stopped and stared across the table closing her mouth as she pondered for a long moment. "You know, i don't know its not...something I ever considered really before now but...would you even 'want' to, would you wish to bear that weight on your shoulders even if there is a way its probably not something just everyone can do...would you....would you knowing that still be willing to...."
Twilight stopped and considered how to ask this and then finally she just said it.
"Will you stay with me forever? Would you all do that for me. If you could find a way" each of them looked at each-other for a long few moments then one by one they each nodded and Applejack spoke up.
"If'un we can find a way twilight, we will sugar cube...we will...till the last setting of Celestia's sun." twilight looked around at her friends then nodded
Each of the six gave a firm nod to one another...watching from a hallway nearby a seventh, a pale pink unicorn with a streaked pale mane smiled "Wish I had that much confidence in myself twilight...but I'll try not to let you down either'" she turned on her heals heading to the library with a purpose in her steps...it was time to study some friendship!