I can’t believe it. After everything that I went through during the past 10,000 years of frozen time, with Luna basically raising me like her own son, and watching her die, how is it possible that she wrote this letter? I don’t get it. One thing after another, constant training, magic, learning, and everything else, when could she have possibly written this? Part of me wanted to not open the letter, since I needed some time to process everything, but what if what she has to say is extremely important?

I take a deep breath and read the letter:

“Noah Weinstein,
If you are reading this message, that means the timeline played out exactly as it was supposed to. I would have rather had it be so I didn’t have to die, but there was no other way. After making your “deal” with Daybreaker, the Elements of Harmony most likely have frozen Daybreaker to stone. While this is not exacting the pound of flesh that you would have liked, it proves that the Jewish value of Selicha U’Mechila exists in Equestria, too. As King Solomon said in the book of Koheles: “Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for every matter under heaven.” (Koheles, 3:1) Over the ten thousand years of frozen time we spent together, I learned so much from you. I am sure that Abraham would be thrilled that his descendant did the best he could to stop a multiversal calamity, with the help of some pastel ponies to boot!

Anyways, this is not what this letter is about. It is to tell you that you are STILL the Prince of Night and Guardian of Time. Attached to this document is my royal seal naming you as my successor. As much as Daybreaker tried to remove the magic from you sending you home, she failed. The magic of Torah will ALWAYS remain in your heart, and with it, your magic.

Now, there is a slight problem. If my timeline preening was right, which it was, you can’t access my reality anymore, because Daybreaker severed the connection. I have found a similar universe to my Equestria where both myself and Celestia are benevolent. Now, they do have a problem with some draconequui, a centaur, and changelings, but it’s nothing a little Friendship and Torah can’t fix. I let this variant of myself know of your kindness and erudition, and that if she needs anything, she knows where to find you. Although, this variant of myself is not as versed in Modern English as myself, and speaks a more antiquated tongue.

I know I promised to help you build the Third Temple when we won, but fate wills it otherwise. It was not a promise in vain, fear not. I should warn you that while Daybreaker was defeated by the Element at the time of your reading, there is always a chance somepony will unfreeze her from stone one day. If that happens, I have faith my little Jewnicorn will find a way to save my reality once again.

Your magic isn’t just the fact that you can warp time and space, but that you carry on four millennia of tradition perfectly. That is the REAL magic. The rest is extra. I am so sorry that I could not be there to witness your ascension to alicornhood. It must have been exhilarating! I will always be proud of you, Noah.

See you in your dreams,

Princess (Nightmare Moon) Luna

I put the letter on my desk, seeing the crescent moon insignia of her royal seal on the bottom of the page. I go back to my bed and begin to cry profusely. My teacher, my Morah. Gone.

I know she isn’t a liar, but how could I possibly use my magic now? I couldn’t even summon a single volume of my Talmud, let alone pause time! This whole thing is confusing. At least I know that March 13th is when the world shuts down due to COVID-19, so at least I don’t have to go out in public or anything.

“Noah, are you busy with something? I need you to help me bring in the groceries!” Rivka says from the doorway (again).

“Well, time to live my normal life. Alicorn time guardian notwithstanding. Don’t say anything and bury that letter deep inside my margins.” I think to myself, coming downstairs to help my sister unload the groceries.

***
Woah! We did it! We defeated Daybreaker and turned her to stone!

“Woohoo! Y’all did great everypony!” Applejack says, giving all of her friends a hug.

“Hold on, Applejack, who is going to raise the sun now that Daybreaker is frozen in stone?” I ask the earth pony, who just shrugs her hooves.

“No idea, sugarcube, maybe everything will just move on it’s own? Is that possible?”

Well, what am I supposed to tell her, that it’s possible in another universe? Nah, that’ll make her and everypony else confused. What I DO know is that now that both sisters are gone, somepony new is going to lead Equestria.

“I just had a brilliant idea on how Equestria is going to be led.”, quickly summoning a quill and parchment.

“I read somewhere that the griffons have their own method of government called “democracy”, where everypony gets to say how they want the country to be run. Let’s think!”

"Wait a moment, Twilight! Isn't that letting 'too many cooks in the kitchen', as the old saying goes? Nopony can agree on everything!"

I let my five friends come up with ideas for the Equestrian Constitution, and we enshrined Friendship into law, and not Celestia’s fake friendship, but ACTUAL friendship with everypony and every creature.

A few months passed, and Equestria held their first democratic election ever! Rarity’s Generosity Party won a majority in the Horseshoe (that’s what we are calling our parliament), securing herself a four year term as prime minister. Everything seemed to be going well, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the Jewnicorn.

Now, I didn’t have a fillyhood crush on him or anything, but he was something different. Something Equestria never had before. I tried contacting him to his world, but it seems the connection was severed by Daybreaker before we defeated her. That really sucks! That is, until Spike was cleaning things out from the library (I made him do chores - with no tools or outside help - for a whole year as punishment for ratting me out) and found a letter with a Lunar Crescent seal on it.

“Hm? What’s this?”, grabbing the letter with my magic.

“TO TWILIGHT SPARKLE”

I quickly ripped it open:

“Twilight Sparkle,
If you are reading this, congrats! You and your friends defeated my sister once and for all, although at a heavy price with my passing. I must be frank with you, I never knew you as well as my sister did. Regardless, your leadership skills are remarkable and something to be marveled at. I wrote a letter to the Jewnicorn, too, telling him what I am about to tell you. It’s not the magical abilities you have that give magic to your world, it’s your VALUES that bring magic.

For you, it’s Friendship (and now with a bit of Torah, too!), and for Jewnicorn, it is his heritage and collective memory. While our two worlds are no longer connected, I feel that there is something greater that connects our realities, and maybe a smart mare like you could figure a few things out? It would be a shame for Jewnicorn to never access his magic again!

Thank you for saving my kingdom from itself,

Princess (Nightmare Moon) Luna.

Well, Princess Luna certainly knew how to write a good letter! I’ll give her that.

“SPIKE! FIND A BOOK FOR ME ON OTHER WORLDS, PLEASE! I HAVE A DEBT TO PAY!” I yell down the stairs.

“Here you go. 9 more months of slave labor left, I guess.”, I heard Spike mutter under his breath.

The fact he can still live here is proof I love him. If I wasn’t his mother, and he did something like that to me, he’d be out on the street!

***

Summer of 2021

A year and a bit has passed, and I just turned 18 years old (that is, assuming the ten millennia of frozen time didn’t happen). I graduated high school, got accepted to Yeshiva University with honors, and was well on my way to getting my BA in Political Science. Every night I continue to think about my time in Equestria, and how it shaped me. I have noticed a few weird things lately, that could potentially be related to pony stuff. For example, when I was davening Mincha last week at shul, I could have sworn that time froze for three seconds. Now, even if I COULD still manipulate time, I wouldn’t do it in shul.
And last night, just for fun, I tried using some magic to grab a book I was reading for school. While it didn’t magically make it’s way over to my bed, It moved a few inches out of the shelf; but not enough for it to crash on the floor.

Maybe Twilight is figuring something out? I don’t know, but it would really be cool if I could see this other Luna. I miss her so much.

September 4th, 2021

I was getting ready for Rosh Hashanah, which was two days away. It was also a Shmitta year coming up, so it was an EXTRA special Rosh Hashana. I was putting away all of mom’s groceries again while I was listening to a shiur on the Sabbatical cycle in Israel. Chores suck, especially when you don’t have alicorn-tier superpowers to make it easier! Anyway, I finally got all my stuff done, and mom let me go back to my room to continue learning.

I saw Luna’s seal poking out of my bookshelf, and I thought for a moment about the time we spent together.

“Noah “Jewnicorn” Weinstein, Doth thou heareth me?”

Woah, I must be hallucinating. That sounds almost EXACTLY like my teacher, but if she was in Shakespeare’s England.

Even if it was her, the connection to our worlds was severed almost two years ago. No way it could be a Luna.

Until I realized that the letter mentioned a different Equestria.

“Jewnicorn? We are in need of thy help. ‘Tis a matter of great importance and involves thy Talmudic mind.”

No. Bucking. Way! It is Princess Luna, but where is she coming from? My head? The walls?

And then, I feel something I haven’t felt in two years. MAGIC COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS. AND ALICORN MAGIC AT THAT!

A portal opens in front of me, revealing a familiar cosmic purple pony.

“Jewnicorn, hurry u-”

I hugged her as tightly as I could, saying:
“בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה, אלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽינוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה”
(Blessed are You, G-d, Lord of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us and allowed us to arrive in this season.)

“I am so happy to see you, boss! What are we gonna do?”

“Well, it ties in quite well with thy magic skill set, involving memory and time. A pony by the name of Starlight Glimmer opened a school for young fillies and colts, and she needs somepony who knows about time to find out about other universes. Art thou ready to become Alicorn of Time once again?”

“Na’aseh v’nishma. I will do, and then I will listen.” I reply, quoting Exodus.

I follow my teacher into the portal, letting my alicorn form come to me once again.

I’m finally home.

THE END

Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

GLOSSARY:

Morah: Hebrew for Teacher (feminine conjugation)
Selicha U’Mechila: Literally repentance and forgiveness. A key theme of Yom Kippur.

Koheles: Also pronounced Kohelet, in English Ecclesiates. A book of the Old Testament full of parables and allegory. (Zecora would probably like it!)

Shmitta: Sabbatical Year. Occurs once every seven years. It involves ceasing all agricultural work in Israel.

Shehecheyanu: A blessing recited during festive occasions, once in a lifetime events, and when doing something new.