Observance, acceptance, remembrance
Every Seeress or observer as some may call it is the same but also different, different hair, different eyes, different thoughts, but the same goal. We are different ponies with the same name constantly reincarnated to watch another generation, another end and record our observations in a book of prophecies, to stabilize and remember the timelines should they become damaged. That is all, we are to simply to watch, we are not to intervene, only taking action when a generation has ended and a new one is created. Who creates these new worlds? What becomes of them when they end? What even is the goal for someone who simply observes? This, I do not know. I only understand that my mission is to see each iteration, each generation, through to its end and hope it accomplishes whatever it's greater purpose is. Hahahahaha, it's funny, I just never really understood it...we as individuals are to craft a world that could achieve a goal we set for ourselves, and yet, does it truly ever achieve that goal of never-ending. Instead, we are left to become attached to our creations, characters and plots that have to end sometime, against our better wishes.
I would often write more than what my book was intended for. Two or three pages of events and suddenly my mind drifted.
"I often wonder what's beyond my endless field of red roses. if there are other worlds out there, if I'm the only one who can see this world of ponies, if I'm utterly alone. I wanted so badly to be among them, Twilight Sparkle and her friends, to experience the friendship and love that I've never felt before. When the final song finally came, and Twilight sang those words...This is where the magic happens...I couldn't help but sing along hehe, as if I knew the words by heart, as if I was living and breathing right next to her, as her friend. But I can't, it's just not how the world works."
So it has been ordained by whatever invisible force holds sway in reality that we only watch from afar, and dream of what we would do if it were real. And so here I, Vitari Tepes, stand, yet another observer waiting upon an infinite plane of red roses, staring at the ever-present moon, it's surface showing images of the world like a movie screen. And although I have different hair, different eyes, different thoughts, I was tasked with the same goal, to stand still and watch, powerless, as yet another age of ponies comes to an end, the 4th generation, Friendship is Magic.
"Why is that world is so different? Why is there no one in this one? Are we the only two to ever exist in the endless plane of red?" I closed my eyes, I tried to imagine what it was like...to have more than 1 real friend, people who care for me and I for them. Instead, I felt a shiver go down my spine as the cold midnight wind brushed passed me. When the end came for Equestria, the defeat of three of the world's most dangerous villains, the acceptance of the friendship into each and every creature's bones, the growing up of every character she had become invested in, It made me happy and sad, empty and yet satisfied, finally seeing everyone prove their place in the world. With a crimson red light, my horn finally ceased the images on the moon's surface, returning it to blinding white. In the beginning, I didn't quite understand what it was I was feeling, I'd never considered the thought of friends before, always being plenty comfortable with my own company but now, these things swirl inside me, confuse me. "Is this what every other Vitari before me felt? Is this loneliness, sorrow, anger? How many Vitari's had to watch with emotionless eyes simply writing down what happens? How many of them became invested in the worlds they observed and cried out in sorrow when it ended?"
"Hundreds." A stallion's voice called out from behind me.
I knew that deep tone, one that was all too common for a seeress, the only voice she would hear outside of her fabricated world. The voice of the Seeress's would-be guardian, clad in the robes of a protector and armed with sword bonded to his very soul, responsible for teaching me my powers of observation, taking care of me, and protecting me from all danger during the small time I had to watch this world flourish. And in the end, he will be the last thing I see when I soon meet my end. With haste, I returned the book to my satchel and quickly leaped into his embrace, nuzzling into his warm chest. "Noel, you finally came back."
"I've only been gone an hour, were you lonely." He paused when I didn't answer, only able to see a single tear streak down my cheek. "What's wrong, did you see something that--"
"I just...didn't want to see any of them go."
"You mean...in your observation?"
I nodded. "Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, I loved them all like I was there...like I was apart of their world but..." I paused, wiping the tears from my eyes before finally letting my heart speak for itself. "Is this the fate of an Observer Noel? Are we forever destined to watch created worlds with characters and things we love end? Can we not do anything about it?"
"Vitari..." he uttered to me in concern. "You are only 9 years old so I understand your plight but...we are not to become attached to our observations. Doing so would tempt fate against us."
"I don't care, I don't accept that rule! Who designed this endless cycle of Vitari's writing in books and guardians standing guard against nothing. This isn't a life for us." I said kicking at the roses under me. "In that world, there's so much life and understanding, I just don't want it to end. I want to see new adventures with Twilight and the mane six, I don't want--"
I was slowly quieted as Noel simply placed a hoof to my lips. "Calm yourself, allow us to understand together then. You are one of many Seeresses, reborn to record the timeline as it happens and seal the timeline on paper just as I am one of many Guardians here to protect your world from harm."
"But...there hasn't been any reason to guard me, nothing's happened, just as there is no reason to observe, I want to be apart of the world not watching from afar."
"Vitari, to observe is to learn, as we all have to. Even as your guardian, I was watching from afar."
"Y-you were?"
"Indeed," he said releasing me from his embrace and taking a few steps forward to stare at the moon. "It is true that sometimes, the very nature of our souls can make us never want to let go of what we love. I can't say that I've never given the idea thought, that throughout the many years we've spent watching the magic of friendship flourish with Twilight Sparkle, of creating a world of my own, with it's own rules, it's own ponies or people like the human world, it's own ideals of friendship. I questioned my role as someone who simply observes just as you have."
I turned away, I couldn't handle the flow of emotions, not in front of him. "It's just...why am I a Seeress, a simple Observer. Why can't we be apart of the world's we're observing, what even is the point of recording everything if we can't experience it. Why can't we just go back in time, or to a different universe where we can become apart of the reality that is that fantasy. I want to stop observing, I want to create, but not just create, I want to be in that world, I want to be apart of it.
A moment passed...a moment of silence, a moment of thought. The sound of his hoofs made their way toward me before a comforting hoof was placed on my shoulder. "That is why we must honor our loves and create. Come," he uttered as he picked me up and placed me upon his back, slowly beginning to walk slowly into the endless field of red roses. "Is it not a glorious thought, to seek out and even create worlds with concepts and ideas we never knew possible? Worlds with magic, worlds without magic, worlds with ponies, worlds with humans, worlds with anthropomorphic animals, it's a thought worth a million words. Imagine the power, endless possibilities, the freedom to cross time and space and journey through the ages, to find happiness where we never could before. The freedom to change our lives and bend reality to our liking. That is the sole purpose of fantasy. Tell me Vitari, what would you do if you had that power?"
"I-I...like I said, I would go to the world of ponies, to make friends, to be something more than just an observer, I would meet the same people and ponies, have the same feelings and thoughts, I would be apart of it and die happy knowing I didn't just watch it happen from this infinite plane. But..."
"Yes, unfortunately traversing whole dimensions is just not possible. We are not able to enter that world nor they ours and we must accept that. We cannot change that reality but we can do everything in our power to create something that gives others a reason to do the same."
"Ugh, you're talking in riddles, I'm going to the ho--"
"I've heard you whispering the question, if there are others correct?"
"W-what?"
"You wondered if there's anything past the infinite plane of flowers?"
"Y-yea but..."
"As a guardian I have traveled to countless place before and I can say with certainty...you are not the only one has watched these many iterations of the world, there are others who can see the possibilities and become just as attached as you have."
"R-really...y-you mean we're not alone..."
"Far from it."
So..." I uttered letting out a giggle through tears. "I'm not alone hehe..." I continued to giggle to myself, tears slowly beginning to waver as I relaxed upon Noel's back. "There are others, like me, who observe and want to create and lose all the same...but how does creating something truly make you feel whole again?"
"It never truly does. Yes, you can create something but when you see come to an end, it will fill all the same, empty, sad. They all take the same burden, given the choice to observe then create, given the choice to make their own destiny, and as such, are drawn to the same risk. Just like whoever created this world of ponies, each time they fulfill a wish of their heart, someone else's dream is shattered. We conjure miracles, but when we do, the seeds of sorrow are sown at the end of it all. As creators and observers, we have to accept that and prepare to bear that burden and responsibility. Creation is not about immersing yourself so far that you lose sight of reality, it's about giving the future generations the lessons you learned. Although you can visit the worlds physically, what would you create with the lessons of friendship you've learned?"
"It makes sense...It's just hard...I really connected with that world...I always found myself to be a bit of Fluttershy, shy and timid but quick to deal out justice when it was needed. Through her I came to understand my shyness and how to handle it, it changed my life, it makes me want to get away from this infinite plane and find someone else, anyone else. but now, I just want to end this cycle of rebirth and give a future me a chance to live a life, to create something that will inspire others to do the same."
He chuckled. "How quickly you change your tune, it's cute."
"Shut up." I happily pouted.
"You should know, I to seek a end to this neverending cycle as well, however, we can only sow the seeds of creativity that will allow our future selves to accomplish what we can not. That is what the creator of the world has done for us, sown the seeds of the future so that we pass it on to others and eventually it will bloom just like one of these many roses."
"Well when you put it that way," I sat up, my eyes once again locking on to the moon. "I think I can accept this but...does it really have to end? Do I really have to end?"
"Such is the fate of a Seeress Vitari, until our future selves are released from their fates, but it wasn't for nothing. Although it only lasted 9 years, that world established true friendship for someone in another world, watching like we are, becoming attached as we have. It's ok to cry, it's ok to feel sad, but moving on is apart of life, even if that creation is your own. Just know that the souls of those ponies will forever be with you, me, and anyone else who came to love that world. They shall inhabit our frail bodies in our time of sorrows, to read our hearts and show us the way to joy. And all these memories shall be engraved into the next incarnation of that world, the 5th Generation."
I'd never smiled that warmly in my life. For years I was engrossed in the world of ponies, I smiled when they smiled, I cried when they cried, but here I was for once crying and smiling for myself. 9 years of simply watching, never able to be apart of the world I so desperately cherished, never able to traverse reality to live a life I found to be more fitting. However, I'm starting to think that we don't need to physically visit these fantasies to feel joy. Sure they may end, our emotions may run rampant, but there will always be something else that fills that void, whether of the same universe or not. "Noel...thank you, no...thank you to anyone who might hear this, who watched this world from start to finish with me. Here in my dimension, even though I am reincarnated over and over again without end, I shall let friendship be my guiding key. Noel..." I uttered removing my book from it's satchel. "I shall do my part to allow my next self to create something amazing. Please, I want you to give the next Vitari my book."
"But...the next Seeress is supposed to obtain her own, are you sure?"
"Whatever rules were imposed on us from now on, are null in void. We as living beings shall be allowed to choose our own destiny. Please?"
Noel looked at me with concern before a smile spread across his face. "Very well, as is the duty of the guardian. I will gladly pass along the idea of friendship to whoever may bless our world with their presence."
"Thank you...Noel." I could feel a warmness in my body envelop my mind, it was soothing, like a blanket being wrapped around my very soul. "It's time, isn't it? This is what the end of my time feels like?"
With a gentle motion, he plucked me off his back and placed me gently on the ground, nestled by red roses all around. His eyes seemed saddened, devoid of the sureness he was feeling before. "I have seen and sworn to protect many Vitari's, I care for them all the same. but you, you are the first Vitari to ever make me feel true sorrow for your short-lived life. Were it not so, I would find a way to break this cycle of rebirth and see you grow up like a normal child."
"Friendship is magic has taught me so much Noel, and whatever comes next will teach others more than I ever did. Just remember to pass on friendship Noel, and perhaps this dreaded cycle may end."
He chuckled. "I'm happy for you Vitari, you are the first to ever give me the true meaning of...friendship. Very well, I shall allow you to sleep and pass the message on as intended. Rest and go now to the afterlife.
This is acceptance. This is moving on. Although I may fade now, I trust that others like you reading this will create something too and give the gift of creation to many others. Goodbye.
Author's Note
Whew, thought I'd never get through this without tearing up a bit every time. Just one wanted to really give one last exciting woomy to G4, Friendship is Magic, before I really mentally begin moving in the direction of G5.
