Time really flies, doesn't it?
To think that 13 years ago, River Swirl had come all the way to Canterlot from across the world to introduce herself to the Princess there in person. To say the boat trip to Equestria was expensive, especially given her family's financial situation, would be putting it mildly, and yet she had always dreamed of going. Her mum and dad had always trusted in her, even if the latter knew when to draw a line in the sand sometimes. But this? This, she was absolutely certain about.
And so was Celestia when River Swirl became a 'prized student' of her own in the School for Gifted Unicorns. Perhaps the most brilliant, famed house of learning worldwide, River was ecstatic and dilligent in her studies. Not only that, but she met ponies from all across the globe, something she had never even thought of before back in the Riverlands, so far tucked away in Eastern Griffonia. Ponies from all corners of Equestria, from the Crystal Empire, other Riverland nations and even various pony nations in Zebrica such as Saddle Arabia were there, studying just as she did.
Yeah... yeah, she remembered those times gladly and fondly. Even now, as she sat in the office of somepony she hadn't seen since those days back then. She'd met so many ponies, actually, though she was sad to admit, now, that not every friendship survived past graduation. It was a herculean task to continue a distant relationship of any kind from across different continents. And frankly? Unless outright love was involved, most simply weren't really ready to go that extra mile or two and waste time on a relationship they figured would wither sooner or later anyway. They were friends at heart still, sure, but what more could it ever be?
That was a sour aftertaste from those times. To know that despite all she had learned, all the tuition and love she had received from the Princess of Equestria herself, she had simply let friendships fall through her hooves. Was it because of laziness? Was she too absorbed by her own ambitions back home?
*Screeak*
River Swirl snapped back to reality, eyes blinking in a frenzy for a moment before turning on the padded stool she was sat on, looking towards the door that had just swung open.
"Sorry for the wait, River. There were some unexpected complications in the baking class with Pinkie Pie. Which, I suppose means it was expected in every way."
The blue-coated unicorn simply stared for a few moments at the familiar, and yet all too strange figure that had come into sight. It was lucky, in a way, that the light bang from her shutting the door behind her woke River up from yet another thought-induced daze.
"A-Ah, don't worry about it, Twilight- err, your majes- I mean, Prin-"
She was interrupted by a soft giggle, as the royal in question came closer, beaming a soft smile.
"You don't have to call me by some fancy royal title, River Swirl. I've known you since way before that, anywho."
River's ears flattened, a hue of crimson showing on her cheeks.
"R-Right. Sorry. I'm just a little nervous, I guess."
She watched the alicorn walk past her, up until she reached the back of her desk and the seat of her chair there.
"Nervous? Now why is that?" asked Twilight. "I suppose we haven't known each other that well back then, but even so I don't think I'm scary, am I?"
The unicorn was glad her white-blue mane already covered half her face. It made it easier to hide in awkward moments like these.
"That's not it..."
"Then what is it?" asked Twilight thoughtfully.
"Nothing to do with you, really," River answered quickly. "I've just been all over the place since I lost my place in the River Republic. Nervous primarily. Afraid maybe."
Twilight nodded from behind her desk. "So I heard. I'm sorry for your loss in the elections, if that means anything to you."
The unicorn gave her a reassuring nod and accompanying smile, but her overarching mood remained the same.
"I've just been so absorbed into it, you know? So much time went into everything as Chancellor there, so many ideas and hopes and.. everything, really."
The mare sighed, and raised a hoof towards her green coat as she pulled the fluffed thing a little higher and closer. It wasn't particularly cold in Twilight's office, but it reminded her of home now, at the very least.
"When I first ran for office years ago, I was among the first in all the Riverlands to suggest a need to work closer together. All our disparate nations, all of them were so similar in nature, and yet we remained apart, united only by some vague fear of the griffons to the west whom we needed to protect against. That's what school taught me, anyway."
Twilight folded two hooves together on her desk as she listened with intent.
"But I knew there was more to us! More than just fear and hate! I knew, and still know that we can be so much more than that!" River's brief spur of loud enthusiasm fizzled out as quickly as it had come on. "I always thought that, together, we could all achieve so much more. I dreamed of unity, of a common federation between all the Riverland ponies and creatures. All of us equals, all of us partners. That was always my big vision. It's something that drove me all throughout my first and second term."
"And it didn't work out?" asked Twilight simply. River Swirl shook her head in response.
"My focus was always further beyond the River Republic itself. Always looking to make amends with the other nations around us for my goal, always looking to create new ties abroad and get all of us working closer together." River sighed. "Which meant that, when the elections for my potential third term came up, I was called to be useless. I had focused so much time away from home that my own ponies felt neglected, like I had dropped them the moment I was re-elected for my second term to do my own thing."
She let her head sink and caressed a hoof of hers, deeply aware of her wrongdoings now.
"I got the bill for what I did wrong. For going overboard. And now..."
"Now you're here." Twilight smiled in a way that made River question whether she was happy or about to ask her a serious question of sorts.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am."
"You know, River Swirl," Twilight began, "there's a lot of good things I remember from way back at Celestia's school in Canterlot. Buuut there's also plenty I don't remember, or don't want to remember. I wasn't quite who I am today back then, after all."
The pony in front of Twilight managed a half-hearted chuckle.
"I do recall us only ever interacting on occasion, to be fair. You were asking me for a copy of Magisynthesis Volume... five, I believe?"
"Six," Twilight happily and proudly corrected. "But yeah, I was a shut-in back then. And trust me, I regret it. I really wish I hadn't spent so much time on my own projects and studies, only thinking about my own success." The alicorn shrugged. "I mean sure I always intended for my inventions and discoveries to benefit others and not just myself, but by dedicating myself only to them I pretty much forgot all about the world around me."
River Swirl nodded.
"I think other than what I've already said, I only saw you around at school a few times. Though I-" She paused. "Oh."
Twilight, smiling widely and confidently, cocked her head.
"What's wrong?"
"I see what you did there," huffed the unicorn.
Twilight held a hoof against her belly as she chuckled, then laughed. And soon after, so did River Swirl with her, almost falling off her seat as she did, all too used to simply being stiff and rigid all this time.
"Ohohokay, okay, you got me," the riverpony chuckled as she wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I guess I really did get the bill for focusing too much on only doing what I thought was right, huh?"
Twilight shook her head. "That's not the point of my comparison, River. Your projects, like my own back at school, are fundamentally good for all. It's not your ideas that are the issue, nor that you are dedicated to completing them. It's that you and I tried to do so alone, shutting out others who well could and would have helped us."
The mare in green dress raised a hoof towards her lips. She was no stranger to making friends, or at least she didn't consider herself as such. Yet, here she was, far from home with no friends to call her own after losing not just her job, but indeed her one true calling in life according to herself.
"Is that why you wanted to meet with me?" Twilight asked, interrupting River's train of thought yet again.
There was no reply. Only a slightly guilty nod.
"River Swirl, I think you're a great pony personally. One that loves to help others and promotes happiness in a similar way Princess Celestia and Luna do here in Equestria. But even they can't do it all on their own. They have ponies to rely on, to help them when the going gets tough."
"Right," River remarked, "but unlike them, I've been booted out already. It's a bit late for me to find this out now, isn't it? Not unless I can somehow turn back time."
The Princess let out a chuckle. "I guess we can't, but something we can do is learn from our mistakes. To make it so that instead of cutting us down, every obstacle allows us to grow beyond our previous limits. Kind of like how I eventually learned the error of my old ways. How I learned that I shouldn't have ignored other ponies and friendship when I was younger."
The lavender pony watched as her old acquaintance shrank in her seat. Shame, fear, anger, and all of it probably directed towards herself at that moment.
"I've been where you are, River. Really," the Princess continued. "I know how it feels to look back and realise just how much you've messed up, and I know how much that hurts. But I also know how great the future can feel and look like if we give the lessons of the past a chance to shape our future. That by letting in other ponies around us, by talking, laughing, studying, playing with them we learn that our true destiny was never some great political feat, or some crazy new invention. Our destiny is always right here with us; in our friends, each and every one of them."
"I..."
The riverpony moved a hoof towards her mouth as she pondered, then began to scratch the back of her head with that same hoof.
"I suppose that sounds right. I mean I always wanted to make everypony happy with what I did. Bring everyone together, so everyone can be together as equals." She managed a half-acted chuckle as her hoof dropped once again. "Yet here I am, never having actually considered myself to be a part of that potential friendship and web of equals."
Her old schoolmate nodded firmly.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said. "Not so long as you accept that you've messed up, learn from it, and move on. I'm sure that in due time everypony else will think likewise; that you're a wise pony fighting for a good cause, and that your ideas are indeed great."
A fuzzy feeling built in River's chest, and so she clutched it with a hoof before simply saying "Thank you," with a smile.
"Don't mention it, River Swirl. I'm always eager to help, especially old friends of mine."
"Friend?" River rebuffed with a furrowed brow. "Twilight, we already agreed we barely knew one another. I don't think we could call ourselves friends just because I lent you a book once in school."
"No, you're right," came the reply as the headmare of the school jumped out of her seat and slowly came back around towards where River sat. "But I'd be happy to call you one now."
The hoof she had up against her chest pressed tighter. She felt her heartbeat increase, yet she didn't feel scared or nervous this time. She was vindicated. Happy. And she nodded.
"I'd like that."
River beamed a smile of her own in earnest for the first time in a few weeks, it felt like. A smile her new friend was all too happy to match.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Twilight replied. "I heard you went on to become a teacher after school, right? Before you got into politics?"
Her smile faded into a crooked half-smile as she leaned back and warily answered with a vague "Yeees?"
"Well!" Twilight spoke up. "As it happens, me and my friends are often very pre-occupied due to all our other hobbies and duties. As a result, a lot of classes regularly don't happen since at least one of us is busy at any given time."
River Swirl blinked, not even realising that her mouth was half agape.
"You need a teacher?"
"A professor," Twilight corrected happily. "I think we'd all be very glad to know you a part of our roster. If you want, that is."
The riverpony would probably have continued staring if it weren't for Twilight offering a hoof for a hoofbump.
The mare felt herself up, as if checking if she wasn't dreaming still. Her hooves eventually found the big, fluffy white collars of her green coat, and they both pulled gently. She felt at home with it. Felt like she was still in that chair back home, pursuing a dream of hers.
Yes. A dream. But it was not the dream. Not anymore. With others like her all around her, with friends there to lend her their attention, smile and kindness, she could dream of so much more, or so much less. Anything was possible if only she allowed others to lend her a helping hoof.
And so she lent Twilight hers, and met the lavender hoof with a light blue one of her own.
"I would love that very much."
And before River Swirl could react, the hoofshake had turned into an impromptu hug. She smiled as wide as she could, realising that this, too, felt like she was home.
