Author's Note
Edit: 14th August 2022, edited the shipping to become friendshipping.
Time Is Not a Constraint
Together We Break Reality
By iAmSiNnEr
Her auburn hair glinted in the weak sunlight as she grinned at me. As she did so, the light that shone on her hands dimmed. She wore a yellow necklace on her neck. “Hey. I’ve waited for this for a long time.”
I lowered the journal and smiled right back. “So have I.”
A few days ago
“I’m sure Princess Twilight would’ve come over if it was some big problem!” Rarity assured me, smiling at me reassuringly. “Even if the journal isn’t working like it’s supposed to - it’s probably just some simple issue that she’s too busy to fix herself.”
“It’s already been a whole week!” I fretted. “What if some villain over there defeated her and her friends? She normally takes, like, three hours, tops to respond to one of my entries.”
“Well, the portal is currently open,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “If she was aware anything was wrong, she’d travel through it herself and - nevermind. I see your point now.”
“See, even Dash agrees with me-” As I gesture wildly in her direction, the journal vibrated on the table, signalling an entry from the other side. “Oh. Nevermind.”
As I picked up the book, I couldn’t help but feel something was off. Normally, whenever Princess Twilight sent me a letter via the journal, it’d feel...warm. Like some part of Equestria was coming to me through her. This time, I felt nothing. I peel open the covers, flipping to the latest page. There was only one line.
“Girls,” I heard myself say. “Can I have some time to myself, real quick? Gotta pen in a reply to Princess Twilight, and I’ll be right back.”
“Sure!” Pinkie Pie winked. “Don’t want any of the others spying on what you’re writing, eh?” She winked again.
“Yeah, sure,” I fumbled with my school bag. “I’ll see you girls in class.”
Twilight put a hand on my arm. “Is everything alright, Sunset?” Her gaze pierced into my eyes. “We’re here if you need us.”
“Of course!” I forced out a smile. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine. The letter she sent was just quite...personal, after all. It has to do with me, and me only.” Let’s hope this isn’t what I think it is, and it’s just a prank or hoax.
“Come back fast, though!” Applejack added. “Class starts in like, ten minutes. You know how Miss Cherilee gets about punctuality.”
“Of course,” I nodded. “Thanks. If I’m late, cover for me as long as youcanbyeillseeyoulater!” With that, I hastily slung my bag over my shoulder, before making my way out of the cafeteria and towards the garden. With ten minutes before the end of lunch break, there was no way anyone would be there. Well, maybe except Fluttershy. But I knew she was in the cafeteria with the rest of the girls, so I’d probably get complete privacy.
Arriving at the small garden of the school, I set my bag down next to a tree and sat down. Flipping open the journal, I turned to the last page that something had been written in. There, one sentence lay, still glimmering slightly from the magic. Normally, Princess Twilight’s entries would glow a purple color. However, this one had a brown tinge to it.
My brow furrowed. Princess Celestia? Are you there? Please. Anyone. Respond. The entry read.
I picked up my pen and hesitated. For some reason, it didn’t feel like an entry from Princess Twilight. First of all, why would Princess Twilight send me that? She could just easily contact Princess Celestia from her side. Why would she think Princess Celestia was on my side of the portal?
I flexed my fingers. However, it did seem like it came from Equestria. The hand, no, hoofwriting was jagged, even though the words were written uniformly. Most likely written by levitation. It didn’t seem like Princess Twilight’s hoofwriting either, hers was more...neat.
I made a decision. Putting the pen on the paper, I wrote out a simple question. I am not Princess Celestia, but I am here. Who are you?
The reply was almost instantaneous. My name is Sunset Shimmer. What’s yours?
Slamming my bedroom door close, I tossed my bag into the corner after I retrieved the journal. Sitting on my bed, I flipped it open again. The entry was still there.
My name is Sunset Shimmer. What’s yours?
I picked up my pen. It had to be a hoax, right?
I had been thinking about it the whole day. The brown ink, the cold feeling from the book...it just didn’t feel right. In fact, the hoofwriting looked like mine, now that I looked at it closer. It looked like my first few entries into the journal.
I’ll tell you my name if you answer one of my questions, I wrote, How did you get this book?
This time, the reply took longer, but it arrived fairly quickly still. Princess Celestia gave it to me, it said. She said tha.
At there, the a was more pronounced, like the pen had stopped there on the other side.
Are you alright? I wrote.
A spot on the book got wet. A tear, I realized.
I’m okay. They wrote back. I just had to take a moment to think. Princess Celestia gave me this book. She said that if I penned my thoughts down, it’d help me. But when I opened the book, I saw an entry already there, written in some unfamiliar hoofwriting. It was addressed to a Princess Twilight. But there isn’t any Princess Twilight!
At this point, my pen might have dropped on the floor. I wasn’t sure. But what I do know was that my eyes widened, and I may have let out a squeak of surprise as the cogs in my head turned. Several keywords had just alerted me to what the situation was. If there wasn’t any Princess Twilight, and that Princess Celestia had given this unicorn the journal…
The writer was my past self. But how? The book wasn’t designed to extend into the past.
Picking up the pen again, which I had dropped onto the bed, I wrote back quickly. What year are you in?
Didn’t you say you’d give me your name after I answered your question?
I will once you tell me this!
Fine. It’s AB 990.
AB 990. The year before I ran away from Canterlot, and I came to this world.
My name is Sunset Shimmer. I think something wrong has happened. I jotted down, after some thought.
You’re lying. I’m Sunset Shimmer!
I know. I’m your future self.
I don’t believe you. Prove it!
Princess Celestia gave the journal to us after we saw the mirror. The mirror that showed us our “destiny”. She was afraid we would be power-hungry.
At that moment I wrote that, I knew what I had to do. I had to make sure this Sunset never went onto the same path I did. Buck all the consequences that came from this, I didn’t care. I didn’t want my past self to go through what I did. She had all she wanted. She just didn’t know it yet.
Fine. I believe you now. How does this even work?
I have no idea. Some anomaly, perhaps.
If you’re in the future, you can tell me my future. Do we become alicorns?
I hesitated.
We don’t. It won’t happen. Trust me, I’m better off not being an alicorn. Much happier, in fact. Power isn’t the thing you need right now.
Who are you to tell me what I need? That mirror showed us our destiny. It’s our future. There’s no preventing it.
The future can be changed, I wrote. Please, you have to trust me on this. If you listen to me, and patch your relationships right now, you’ll be happier than ever.
There was no reply.
It was the day after my past self had blanked me. Setting my bag yet again onto the floor, I flipped open the journal, hoping that there was an entry. I couldn’t let me fail again. I couldn’t.
There was.
I tried what you said. I talked to Princess Celestia. It didn’t go well. I shouted at her. At the end of that sentence, there were a few wet spots, like she had been crying.
I quickly put my pen to the journal to write a reply. What happened?
She said the mirror was a lie. That I should be focussing on something else. I called her a liar and a fake.
The mirror was to test us, Sunset. I wrote back. I should know. I got consumed by my desire for power. I ended up failing. I ended up falling. Don’t end up like me.
How do I know you’re not lying? How do I know you’re not Princess Celestia, trying to trick me?
I thought I proved it to you.
That’s what Princess Celestia would say. Tell me something only I would know.
We were orphans. Princess Celestia is like a mother to us.
She could have known that. Something else.
We hated Princess Cadenza for what she represented. We hated her for her wings. We thought her unworthy.
That works. Although, she is unworthy. It’s not just a thought.
Sunset. This was proving to be difficult. I now see why Princess Celestia had a hard time with me. But I couldn’t give up. Do you know what happened to me?
What? I assume you got unlimited magic?
No. I ran away from Canterlot. Remember the mirror? It’s actually a portal to another world. Do not attempt to enter it.
Why shouldn’t I?
Let me tell you my story. Maybe then, you’ll understand why I want to try and help you regain all your relationships. Maybe then you’ll know how much pain I’ve been through.
Go on.
When I first arrived in this world, I was lost. I didn’t know what to do. I ended up joining this high school, biding my time until the portal reopened. I needed a plan. One that would actually work, one that would get me my power.
I suppose it didn’t work.
It didn’t. I stole the crown of Princess Twilight.
Princess Twilight? Who’s that?
A princess after our time. She should be studying under Princess Celestia soon. It’s sort of one of the reasons why I hated her even more. I thought Princess Celestia was throwing me away. In fact, the dragon egg test should be happening for her...if you had just seen the mirror a week ago, about yesterday in your time.
The dragon egg test? No one passed it.
What do you mean?
I mean just what I said. No one passed the egg test. Although, I know there was a filly called Twilight Sparkle that all the professors praised. However, she’s not Princess Celestia’s student. I am. What are you even talking about?
I sat back in confusion. Twilight failed the dragon egg test? Then how did Spike-
An alternate reality.
I sat up straight in my bed. Something had changed the course of time. That was why the book connection had gotten wonky, and connected me to my past self. But we were in a parallel universe. Our world wouldn’t have been affected.
Did that mean Princess Twilight was gone? I had to find out.
I’ll be back with you. I quickly wrote. I have to find out something.
Alright.
It was almost midnight when I arrived back home. Slumping onto my bed, tears fell. Something had happened to Equestria. Princess Twilight didn’t exist. Princess Luna was there, but she was different. Princess Celestia wasn’t there either. After I asked around, I found out that Nightmare Moon now ruled the world.
Just what had happened to change history that much?
I couldn’t even figure out if my past self had survived.
The book buzzed.
Hey. My past self wrote. You there? You’ve been gone for hours.
I didn’t want to reply. I didn’t know what to say. My whole reality had been shattered.
I know you’re there. I see the tears.
Dammit. Why was I so perceptive?
You can tell me. After all, I’ll experience the same thing.
Fine. I picked up the pen with tears in my eyes. If she wanted to find out, she would. I’ll tell her everything. Let her know.
So Nightmare Moon now rules the world. I had just spent the past four hours telling my past self of what I had experienced, the joy I had making new friends, and of Princess Twilight. But now that Princess Twilight was gone...
Yes. You have ten years before she comes back. Enjoy those ten years. Please. For my sake, make up with Celestia. You have to. Celestia will be gone before you know it. She’s like a mother to us. She took us in when nopony else would. Please. I’m begging you.
I will. I blinked in surprise. That wasn’t the response I had expected.
You...will?
Nopony else other than myself would spend four hours pouring their heart and soul into a journal trying to warn their past self. Even Celestia wouldn’t take it that far. Every story you’ve told me, every tale...it’s too ludicrous not to be true. The Elements of Harmony? A Princess of Friendship? I believe you. I’ll make up with Celestia. I promise.
Thank you.
No, thank you. You reminded me of something important that I had almost lost sight of because of that stupid mirror. Celestia was our mother, wasn’t she? Not by blood, but she was anyways. She did what nopony else would. She put up with us, taught us everything we knew. And we threw it all away.
I threw it all away. Not you. You can still fix this. I pressed a hand to the journal, wishing I could see Celestia again. Just one more time.
We threw it all away. We’re one, aren’t we? If you made a mistake, it’s safe to say I did too. But you’ve given me a second chance. Even if the future looks bleak, whatever happened to the time barrier, it’s given me a second chance. Gosh, I sound selfish, don’t I? I sound like I’m saying that a condemned future is what gave us the second chance.
Despite the situation, I laughed. My words had gotten through. I proved that time was malleable. Situations could change. Most importantly, I could change.
You’ve also given me another chance, too. I won’t be able to see Celestia anymore. Tell me whatever happens these ten years, will you? I want to know what the life I never lived was like. Please.
Of course. It’s only right. What do you think about meeting up?
What do you mean?
Tell me the date of your world. I’ll be there tomorrow at your side.
I blinked. Wait, what?
It’s February the fifteenth, AB 1005. How are you going to..?
I’ll just wait. It’s only fifteen years, is it not?
I still don’t know how that’s gonna work.
Don’t worry. I’ll see you. While I wait, I’ll spend my time making up with those I’ve wronged. I won’t be able to talk to you, though. It’s just going to make everything so confusing. My head hurts just thinking about the paradoxes it would cause.
You sure you can handle that? I sighed as I paused. I know I couldn’t.
You could. We could. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the memories with me. Even if the world is dead by the time I come to you, I’ll still come over. I’ll survive. I’ll keep the mirror safe when Nightmare Moon invades. But you have to know this. I’ll stop her. I don’t know how that’s gonna work with time paradoxes, but I will. I won’t let our mother fall. I won’t let her down.
I… I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think of what to say. I went with something simple. Thank you. Don’t die, though. I want to see you.
Don’t worry. I won’t.
I didn’t write anything back, and she didn’t write anything more. There was no need to.
If she could believe, then I could too. If I believed that she would save Equestria, then she would. She had to. For both our sakes. I didn’t know how that would work with the time problems. It didn’t matter. I knew problems like that never stopped us.
The next day, I waited in front of the portal for her.
As the sun set, the portal shimmered, and I stepped through.
Auburn hair flowed and glimmered in the slowly dimming light, and she grinned at me. Her hands were glowing, for some reason. She flexed her fingers, and looked at me.
“Hey.” She pulled out the journal. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
I grinned back. “So have I.”
“You know…” She looked at me. “I thought it was hopeless. That I couldn’t stop Nightmare Moon. That the world was predestined to fall, and that our mother would die.”
“...” I didn’t dare to say anything.
“I saved her, Sunset.” She whispered. “I saved our mother. It worked. It worked, somehow. And you did it all. Your words changed me. You told me what I could have been. You told me that I had a chance to live the perfect life. I did.”
“...” I didn’t dare to hope.
“You know,” She looked at me. “During those years, my heart yearned for something. For the reach of the friendship of someone I really wanted to be friends with."
“What?” I breathed. “Who? Tell me!”
“Myself,” she grinned at my dumbfounded expression. “You, specifically. I know it sounds weird. But think about it. You changed my life. Your warnings turned it around. You poured your life story out for me. I thought it was weird, too. I thought something was wrong with me.”
“I would, too,” I whispered. “I also would have thought something was wrong with me.”
“But it’s not false,” she smiled at me. "I know it sounds narcissistic, I really wanted to be friends with myself."
“...really?” I murmured, drawing closer to her. Something about her words struck a chord within me. Even if I didn’t feel it yet.
“Really,” She nodded her head. “But still.” She cocked her head. “I doubt you’d accept that straightaway. So she proposed I come to you. That I come and understand the future self I could never be.”
“She?”
“Yes,” she smirked. “Mother.” She tossed something through the portal. Within a few seconds, it shimmered again, and a familiar face stepped out of it.
Princess Celestia knelt on the ground, gathering her bearings. The crown on her head was askew, and her dress flowed freely. But her face, even if it was on a human face, I still recognized it.
“Princess Celestia,” I whispered. “How?”
“You helped yourself save the world,” Celestia said simply, smiling widely. “I don’t understand it myself, and neither does Discord. But Harmony has a weird way of working. Besides, that’s not the point anymore. I wanted to be with my daughter when she made her next friend. Do you have what it takes to be her friend?"
I laughed. After the last day I had, this seemed so ridiculous to me.
“Of course she does, Mother,” she stepped forwards. “After all, she’s me.” She extended her hands to me. I recognized the signs. A hug.
I moved forwards and took her hands, dragging her into my embrace. “Thank you so much,” I whispered. “You saved her. You did it.”
“No,” she said gently as she leaned her head in closer. “We saved her.”
Closing her eyes, she hugged me ever the tighter, and the world seemed like a better place.
