And for once, I'd like to have an honest conversation.
“Hello… is this working… testing, testing…
“Let me just… adjust this sensor here and… ¿Esto es mejor? No, uno momento… Wie ist es jetzt? Nein? Wie ärgerlich, lass es uns… this? Is that working now? Okay! Phew, sorry about that. Just a little smidge of temporal interference in the conscious matrix projector. It’s a finnicky component, sometimes it needs a little… ow, kickstart. Don’t worry about that beeping sound, it’s supposed to do that. And, err... please try to ignore that burning smell, it’s… probably fine?
“Right, we’ll make a start, since all my readings are looking… stable. Ish. So if I’ve done this right, I should be directly adressing you now. As in, I am talking specifically to you. Which, yeah, sounds kinda weird for me to finally say out loud. Very weird. I mean, by all logical reasoning, this is an impossibility. But at last, after an entire lifetime, here I am. Talking to you.
“It really is fascinating. All these years, you’ve had windows into my world of all shapes and sizes. I never saw them, at least not at first, but I could always feel them. Not to dig too deeply into the Pinkie Pie vernacular, but after some time I learned to develop my own ‘Psuedo-Pinkie Sense’ that… well, told me you were watching.
“Yes, you. I know, I know. ‘This is some kind of unusual plot device, giving the illusion that the one and only Princess Twilight Sparkle is adressing me and me alone’. Okay, believe that if you want. It might be a more palatable option than the alternative. The alternative, of course, being what’s true. And honestly, I’m not really all that concerned if you’d rather believe the former. Maybe the truth is outside what you’ll accept as reality. But either way, please permit me to speak my mind.
“Firstly though, I am a princess. It wouldn’t do to forget myself, or my manners.
”It’s nice to finally meet you. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. But, if you are who I think you are, you already know that. Oh, I could fill a dozen books with what I suspect you know about me and my world. There’s one thing I’d like to know though. Might I ask, what’s your name?
“...oh …err …hmm. Well that’s… that’s disappointing. All these years of work and… OUCH, nope that’s not gonna… OOF, work. Aargh! I worked so so hard on this and… YOW, no, no, no, no, NO!
“...hmph. Deep breath, Twilight old mare, deep breath… Sorry. That wasn’t exactly very princess-y of me. Certainly a side of me that very few ponies ever get to see. Then again, you’ve seen me at my highest and at my lowest so… there’s really no point in trying to hide anything from you, is there?
“That was a rhetorical question, so, don’t feel the need to answer that. Though it seems, this conversation is going to be rather one-sided. I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong on my side but… it looks like vocal communication is limited to one way, that way being from here to there. Just like, as far as I can tell, it always has been.
“Well, I guess you’re probably wondering what’s going on. So, let’s start with addressing that.
“You see, the notion of your presence has always been there, lingering in the back of my mind like a nagging voice. Even more nagging than Spike trying to get me to go to bed when I was hours deep into a midnight study session. Long before my ascension to princesshood, there were moments every now and then where I felt a strange sensation, like somepony was observing me from a long way away.
“These moments are only obvious with the gift of hindsight, of course. I was young, headstrong, and too stubborn to admit to it. After all, there’s no scientific basis to gut feelings. And though I did expand my worldview after the ‘Pinkie Sense’ incident, I guess it’s still something I was reluctant to admit to myself.
“I knew when it was gone though. Every time. It was like… oh, what was the analogy I came up with the other day, I thought it was pretty insightful… ooh, that was it! You know when you’re feeling sick, okay? Headache, stomach pains, overbearing in-laws, etcetera. And you’re just desperate for it to be over. Eventually, as much as you just want the pain to stop, you sort of become accustomed to its presense. It’s still there, and it’s still very much wearing you out, but you’re just at the point where you’re… dealing with it? And then when it’s finally over, you get a real strong feeling of the empty space the pain leaves behind. Well, that’s what it always felt like. The presence was hard to get a read on, but when the presence left… its absence was impossible to miss.
“At the time, I brushed it all off as paranoia, or the result of an overactive imagination. I was always distracted with more serious matters, it seemed. And that’s when I realised. The presence, it never showed up for the slow days. Not once when I was doing inventory reconciliation at the library. Nor when it was a laundry day. And especially not during my seven-hour meeting at Ponyville Town Hall, to discuss belated planning permission for the magical castle that sprouted out of the ground in somepony’s garden.
“However, as time passed and I grew accustomed to my new role and responsibilities as a princess, those fleeting moments of awareness became more pronounced. It was as if a veil had been lifted, allowing me to glimpse the truth that had been hiding in plain sight all along. That windows into my world were being opened, at crucial moments in my life and in the lives of my friends. Your presence was never a figment of my imagination. It was an intrusion into my existence I had been dimly aware of, but couldn't quite comprehend.
“Now, I’m really skipping over the bulk of the facts here. Coming to this conclusion… well, let’s just say it didn’t happen overnight. And it really was not an easy idea to come to terms with.
‘Hey Twilight?’
‘Yes, Twilight?’
‘Just so you know, your entire perception of reality as we know it is wrong.’
‘Oh wow, are you serious?’
‘Yes, very serious, there are strangers tearing holes in the universe to watch you solve friendship problems.’
‘Really? Awesome, thank you for this new and plausible information, Twilight!’
‘You’re welcome, Twilight!’
“Yeah… you uh… you see how that might be a difficult notion to wrap your head around? But, you know, if you eliminate the impossible… whatever option remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Which may not exactly be the most satisfying answer on this… well, I guess I could try to tell you my entire thought process, but we’d be here a long time. So for the sake of my time and your patience, let’s move along. I don't think this machine would run for long enough, anyway.
“Having reluctantly accepted this improbable truth to my reality, I couldn't help but entertain the thought that perhaps your presence was not entirely benign. Be honest, you come to conclusion that somepony is watching you from across space-time, your first thought isn’t going to be ‘ooh they probably want to hear my thoughts on crochet’. Although, for all I know, you got that spiel from Rarity or Fluttershy. Or both. They did have weekend crochet sessions where they… sorry, that would be a long tangent. Back on topic.
“I couldn't shake the feeling that the eyes watching me from the other side of the proverbial window might harbour ill intentions. What if they were not merely observers, but agents of some unknown force. I mean, by that point we’d already dealt with Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis and her army of Changelings, Sombra, Tirek, Starlight Glimmer, and the Union of Librarians. Although, I don’t think you saw that last one, I don’t remember sensing your observation. Which is probably for the best, it took months of recovery and intensive therapy for me and my friends to come to terms with that ordeal.
“With all these threats dealt with, and Equestria’s safety assured again and again, I had plenty of time to think over what this silent observer might be doing with the information they gather. What might they be plotting and scheming behind the scenes? What if their gaze held not admiration, but scrutiny and judgment? The idea sent a shiver down my spine, every single time. What if they were watching every victory we had over the enemies of our lands, to formulate a winning tactic that could ensure our downfall?
“And so, I… err, I just sort of looked back. I've always been a studious pony, and studying includes observing, analysing, and understanding everything around me. It's part of who I am. A natural thirst to seek out the new and exciting. With the stronger sense of what to look for when this presence came around again, I slowly started to reach out. To pierce the veil, as it were. Which is when I realised that these windows were, in fact, windows. Because I was able to look back through, and for the first time ever I was able to realise… well, there you were.
“Looking back wasn’t the hard part. Magical principles are difficult to convey to a creature like yourself who, contrary to what I expected by your ability to glance across dimensions, are unable to wield magical power of their own. To put it into a way you could understand, it was just a case of waiting for the window to appear. Then, using my magical senses like an extra limb, reach out and find the edges. Once that was done, it was just a case of finding the centre, and sort of… pushing back. In fact, I was surprised to find just how easy it was.
“What was the hard part? Doing this without arousing suspicion from my friends around me, or in a way that you’d notice. After all, on the off-chance you were an enemy of Equestria, I couldn’t let you know I was on to you, now could I? And everypony around me would probably call me crazy for trying.
“So yeah, then I saw you. For the very first time. Years and years after the first vague sense you had been watching me. All that time, the feeling of your observance had deepened, and stirred terrible thoughts in my head of what horrendous wrath you could be plotting to bring down upon the world I call my own. And those feelings, the moment I first saw you… well, they vanished. You are no enemy. No warlord, seeking to wreak power over my home. No villain with cruel intent. You’re not even anything malicious, you’re just… you. Somepony… sorry, somebody looking out across the cosmos to glance upon a different world. Why? Curiosity, plain and simple. This was a big relief to me, I have to admit.
“That being said, though, it is a violation of my autonomy, and that’s a breach of trust that cuts deep. I've spent years cultivating my friendships, building bonds of trust and understanding with those closest to me. And yet, here I am, and have been, exposed and vulnerable to the whims of an unseen observer. It was a bitter pill to swallow, a harsh reminder that even as a princess, I am not immune to the intrusions of others.
“And yet… I've always been curious about other cultures, other worlds beyond Equestria's borders. If I stopped and thought, for a moment, that I could observe them without their knowledge, would I be tempted to do so? The answer, I realized with a hint of chagrin, is yes. Despite my principles of respecting others' privacy, the allure of knowledge, of understanding the unknown, is a powerful force. Does this make me a hypocrite? Well, I suppose every rose has its thorn, even a princess. To quote an old song I once sang with my best friends, ‘None of us claimed to be perfect’.
“To add to that as well, I vaguely recognised your kind, from the time I spent in a world of humans. Spent as a human, might I add, but I think you already knew about that particular escapade because… heh, that window of yours is pretty convenient, isn’t it? Only, this human world, it wasn’t your world. It’s hard to explain, and I can only make a total guess based on what I know of the multiverse theory. But this was a human parallel of my world, in which every occupant had a counterpart on either side of the magical mirror used to jump between the two. And these two separate worlds exist independently of your world, which to my best guess, lacks the unity of cross-species doppelgangers.
“Confused? Sorry, and to be honest, I am too. It’s complete guesswork on my part, based on almost no evidence. Which wouldn’t really hold up under scientific scrutiny, but then again, I don’t think any of this would.
“With the revelation that you really do mean me no harm, either directly or indirectly, a sense of empathy washed over me. I really couldn’t maintain any delusions of indignation after that. Not if your intentions were purely driven by curiosity, just as mine would be in your position. So, no hard feelings. After all, forgiveness is a cornerstone of friendship, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that understanding begins with empathy. So to you, the unseen observer who has been watching me all this time, I offer this olive branch.
“Heh… you know, it’s funny. The more time goes by, and the more I reflect on my life, I realise just how much smarter Pinkie Pie was than anypony ever gave her credit for. Her antics always seemed to dance along the edge of reality and imagination. Moments where everypony, myself included, brushed her off under the belief that she was simply talking to herself in her quirky, random way… well, I can now see what was really happening. She knew you were there, the whole time. And she was talking to you. In her own irrepressible way, she threw herself into embracing the essence of our interconnected realities. The magic of friendship ran deep through the very core of who she was, and she made every effort to extend a welcoming hoof of friendship to you. I hope you can appreciate what I failed to understand at the time.
“Pinkie Pie… I miss her so much. And Rarity. And Fluttershy. Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Starlight Glimmer. I’m priveleged to have been able to call these ponies my friends. If they were here now, though I would struggle to get a word in edgeways, I just know that there’d be more hooves of friendship extended your way. I… I miss them all so much.
“Time is passing quickly now, quicker than it ever seemed to. It only feels like yesterday when I first took Luster Dawn under my wing as my personal student, but now her great-great-grandcolt is proving himself most adept in his beginner transmutation course. He’s a natural talent, just like she was. Just like I was. I sense something very special in him.
“Which… well, brings me to today. The windows between realities, they haven’t opened in decades. Some time ago, I set my sights upon the task of opening one myself, even if for one last time. It was no simple feat, that much I can say, and required as much of my engineering prowess as it did my significant magical ability. It’s quite a nifty machine I’ve put together here, but it’s already been running longer than I expected. And… ow, that’s not good. Judging by the fact that the heatsink is starting to glow orange and, yes, I might have just burned my hoof on one of the thermal couplers… no, we don’t have much time left.
“Before we part ways, for what I suspect will be the final time, I do have one teeny tiny little confession to make. You see… uhh, I worked out quite early on when I was building this machine, that merely constructing the window wasn’t going to be enough. For whatever reason, the onus on allowing the window to open falls on your side of the dimensional barrier. So, I formulated a plan. And, uh… sorry, in advance of what I’m about to tell you.
“The completion of my machine allowed me to project my magic from my world into yours. And… well, manipulate you into opening the window under the guise of your own free will. Sorry, again. In your mind, the idea of ‘oh, that looks like it might make for an interesting story, I think I’ll give that a go’ might have felt like your own volition but… yeah. That was me, poking around and pressing the right buttons to lead you here. For the third time, sorry. But it worked, right?
”And, might I add, you had been watching me for years before I even became close to being aware of the exact nature of what was really happening, so I kinda think that the two acts cancel each other out in terms of ‘you did this to me’ versus ‘I did this to you’. I think we can call things even, don’t you?
“...I really don’t like the way the cooling fan on my machine is rattling, so I think we can just cut to the chase now. The reason I brought you here was to say… thank you. Even though I spent so long being uncertain of the true meaning of your presence, you were a constant during the most eventful times of my life. When Equestria was in peril again and again and again, everything seemed to work out in the end, and it feels to me like it’s because you were there watching me. There were dark days, yeah, that’s an understatement. But things always worked out in the end. And eventually, the fact that you were there watching gave me the reassurance to carry on.
“When the Storm King robbed all Equestria of its magic, I knew things would be okay if I kept fighting. When Stygian’s very being was held fast by the Pony of Shadows, I had the courage to persevere. When Chancellor Neighsay tried to drown me in more beauracracy than the average pony can withstand, I filled out the necessary paperwork in triplicate. And when the incident with Grogar’s bell… you know what, I think you get the idea.
“Now, please take this praise in moderation. Ultimately, it was the bonds of friendship I had forged over time that proved to be our greatest strength against the evildoers who threatened to tear up everything I held dear. But knowing, deep down, that observers outside our reality were watching keenly and counting on us to succeed. Well, the effort was indisputably our own, but it was a comforting presence. Like when me and the girls would cheer on Rainbow Dash at her flying events. Yes, it was her abilities that filled her trophy cabinet, but she admitted (quietly) on almost every occasion that having our support was immensely helpful in alleviating some pressure.
“So… yeah, that’s about all I have to say. It’s weird, because honestly, I don’t know what happens now. For longer than I can remember, I lived in a world that you were watching. My goal to open this line of communication one last time has been achieved, and I can say wholeheartedly that I have no idea what happens next. It’s an existential question that’s bugged me for a while. What is there for me now that this purpose has been expended?
“I guess that’s for me to find out. Hey, I’ve definitely faced worse. When this window closes, it will close for good… and I sincerely wish you all the best. Whatever lessons you sought from glimpsing my world, I hope you learned them. So, to you, who has journeyed alongside me through triumphs and trials alike, I offer one final farewell. Though our paths might never cross again, know that your presence will always hold a special place in my heart, and your absence will be felt strongly. Goodbye, old friend.
"Our story is ending now. And for what it’s worth, I hope it was a good one."
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Very interesting story!
Thanks for sharing.
Very good solution to the dialog challenge, it felt quite natural!
This just got better and better as I read along, very very creative solution to the only-dialogue challenge that played extremely well with the premise, of which you performed soo sneakily smoothly. Wonderful job with this! You made her feel quite real^^
This is some Ezio-Desmond shit and I loved every moment!
“I couldn't shake the feeling that the eyes watching me from the other side of the proverbial window might harbour ill intentions.”
Buddy, I got bad news for you.
Now this is how you utilize dialogue. Thanks for the story, 8_Bit!
So it looks like Twilight found a way to communicate with a human world BESIDES Sunset Shimmer's adopted universe and the confessions. And, yeah, I could see an older Twilight recalling that much in her final years.
Fantastic!
That was super well done! And this is a really interesting writing format, having just pure dialogue, and a one-way dialogue at that. This is really unique; I can't remember reading anything else like it. Definitely liked and faved.
This is beautiful. If not for the meta aspect being taken in a fantastic direction, then for the way the story is told through the lens of Twilight, as a character looking upon their audience. Brings a whole new meaning to "breaking the fourth wall".
Very well done!
Beautiful. I clapped. :P
Unless you have a sentient magical orangutan to show you the ropes, ambitious efforts to exploit L-Space can seriously backfire.
See you space cowboy.
This is leaving me oddly bittersweet~ A wonderful framing mechanism.
At the same time, no story truly ends, silly pony. They just transform into something new
Right in the feels. Oof.
It’s a good pain, though.
Be me...
Discover MLP, binge the show. Fall in love with it, join the fandom.
Get into fanfics, find this one. Sob profusely until my eyes hurt.
Wack... 😵
Seriously though, even compared with emotional heavy hitters like My Little Dashie and The Titans' Orb, this one-hit-wonder is an instant classic, it genuinely had me feeling like Twilight was talking to me; you were able to evoke that feeling almost immediately, you're undeniably a top-tier writer and storyteller.
Thanks for making a grown man cry, I guess?
11897120
You should read Background Pony, a fandom classic. It will absolutely destroy you. It certainly hit me hard.
A more fitting farewell to My Little Pony than I could ever have imagined.
This is a masterpiece. It brought tears to my eyes. I hope you win.
This was a very nicely done tale, even if it took me a few lines to realize what was going on.
Still, the notion of Twilight Sparkle talking directly to me was quite a fascinating thought.
Thank you, thank you for this read. You have made my day brighter.
I now want a sequel where all is lost. Opaline is about to destroy Princess Twilight Sparkle and all she stands for. Then at the final stand off she just hears: "On your left"
Hundreds, if not thousands of bronies step across the threshold.
Make it happen.
I don't care what other stories I may randomly come across that were written for this contest.
I don't care that I don't really like immortal Twilight in general. (However, I'm not entirely opposed to the ending of G4, though I probably would have preferred something else.)
This story, this one right here, deserves to win.
It skirts the boundaries of what's possible for this contest in the best way you could imagine, and it puts you in the story without any of the weirdness of "you did this; you did that."
And it was great.
Reminds me of “Songs of the Spheres”, this would be right at home in that world
Well, that was unexpectedly emotional and honestly therapeutic! I always did feel like I never really got to say goodbye to my friends when the show ended... They have a way of feeling like friends of yours as much as they are eachother's. (Well maybe not to *everyone,* but to my lonely butt certainly). In any case, I didn't realize how much I needed this, especially from Twilight in particular. She has always been there to inspire me, even if it was really only me who was seeking out her, not the other around, and even if "her" is just a cartoon character I've never had a conversation with. You really did do a great job making her feel real. Made me tear up.
Thank you.
PAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIN!!!
But a good pain.
Generations Later:
Sunny Starscout feels like she's being watched.
Great story, definitely got me a bit choked up at points, wonderful writing
Chills.
Oh wow, that was really something! Makes me want to mourn the show all over again
Nice work.
Wow.
Just wow.
I have gotten sick of the whole "Immortal Twilight" trope yet this was just wow. No "Human in Equestria" or "Anon" trash, you made Twilight address us, and that was very well done.
Goodbye to you too, Twilight.
This story really hit me where I needed it the most right now.
Even as just a story its touching hearing Twilight address the reader in this manner
I wonder if you still be greatful if you knew about the er fanart
Wow.
I am floored.
At first I just thought that the premise was interesting, but as I kept reading, I couldn't stop feeling my heart tearing little by little.
I'm way less implicated in the fandom today as I was before, only browsing here or on EqD sometimes, almost when I click on them by accident, so the line about the windows stopping opening really gut punched me.
This was really awesomely done, congrats to you.
And goodbye Twilight. I promise to keep opening windows to your past once in a while, to remind me of the good times we had together with your friends.
That darn Princess Sparkle... I just knew something or someone out there was poking at my Muse to write pony stories. Turns out it was her all along!
You are welcome Twilight. And thanks for allowing us to peek at your life.
Goodbye you wonderful purple unicorn who managed to reach the stars. I'm so glad I had the chance the witness your journey and please know that your lessons will forever guide my hand. For friendship is hard won but always worth the effort thank you for being so true and understanding.
Truly in such a lonely age lessons in friendship are golden, united we stand stronger then our parts.
...
You think that
However twilight
You have much to learn about the omniverse and Imagination's Grace
Yet twilight
Your world is not yet over
amother story has begun on your timeline
11898667
Indeed
Perhaps it is time for us to reach back into hers
This was wonderful and unique.
This was very creative and interesting, I have to say. Great job. The mere thought of Twilight addressing the reader is both intriguing and downright unsettling.
Thanks for this one. Good read.
No... no, we really can't - the two acts are not equal at all, both because of the inherent difference between violations of privacy vs voilations of autonomy (I mean, much as I'd hate to have my mind read, I'd take it over it being controlled, even in a small way) and, more pertinently, because of intentionality.
Like, within the conceit of the story, if Twilight could observe us enough to determine our species, I can't see that there's any way for her not to know that we considered her and her world fictional and, thus, "looking in" would be no more morally questionable than Twilight reading her own books. I mean, if there's a tiny, invisible and undetectable civilization that you kill by stepping on it while walking down the street, that's absolutely horrible, but it doesn't make you evil for not avoiding something you had no way of knowing about.
Not to mention that, however her fourth-wall-bypass works, it clearly interacts with this site in some capacity, so it'd be easier for her to manipulate it to get it within our sights and maximise the chances of us reading it rather than directly forcing us to. Heck, I think that'd actually strengthen the overall point of the story - rather than "I made you read this but it's okay and also sorry", it'd be "I got this into your sights and knew I could trust you to show up." Maybe that's just me - sorry if that seems prescriptive or like I'm complaining because the story wasn't what I wanted it to be, just kinda my thoughts.
Still, even with some logical hiccups and concerning implications, this was a nice story. An interesting idea and neat little coda to things, despite my personal distaste for post-canon-ending stories. Best of luck in the contest.
11898915
I mean, this is a totally valid conclusion to come to. In short, there was a lot of tangents and train-of-thought musings I wanted to include that, while in-character for Twilight, had to be removed for the sake of word limit. I even included the ‘sorry, going off on a tangent’ line in a nod to that.
One of the things that had to be trimmed down was a deeper explanation of Twilight’s reasoning in regards to this issue. In the end I settled on having it be a ‘less is more’ type of explanation and let people feel how they will about it. Even as a princess, my imagining is that she’d maintain a ‘ends justify the means’ type approach that we saw often in the show.
Plus… your idea never occurred to me!
But also thank you for seeing the virtues in spite of issues with certain passages! An outside opinion is always appreciated
okay this is my first time on this site i like 6 months and this is the one i open to
well done
Operation Fourth Wall forbids me from reading this story. Agents will be dispatched to explain to her why outside interference like she tried to pull is no longer permitted in our universe. (For context: DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths canonically destroyed us in a wave of antimatter, and we stayed destroyed until Final Crisis. Reconciling that with the World as Myth when I was born during the period in question is a task)
Damn, this really felt like saying goodbye to an old friend.
Damn, this one hits personal--cathartic and therapeutic. I nearly cried.
Bravo.
Wow... Man, my HEEEAAAAART!!!! I love Twi so much, I miss Gen 4 constantly.
Still, we had a good run, didn't we? Makes it easier to move forward when you have something good to look back on.
Amazing story, can't say it enough.
Man...
Can't help but smile
Very impressed you managed to make her talk for so long, (or, well, how she talked for so long) staying in character. Very well done.
Eh.