Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria.
There were once four alicorns who ruled Equestria during an age of harmony and peace. The four alicorns were Celestia, keeper of the sun. There was also Luna, Celestia’s sister and caretaker of the moon. The youngest were Mi Amore Cadenza, alicorn of the heart, and finally Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and bearer of the Element of Magic.
Princess Twilight and her friends protected Equestria from many threats, their unbreakable bond shielding the land from many evils.
But one day, tragedy struck. One such evil succeeded in striking down Celestia, bringing on a darkness that would increase over the years to come.
Cadenza would become reclusive, leaving her duties to her daughter, Princess Flurry Heart. The Element Bearers would be claimed by time, and the darkness in Princess Twilight’s heart wold grow.
Then, one day, it grew too much. The visage of Twilight Sparkle was stripped away, leaving behind a mare of darkness and destruction.
Nightmare Nova.
Nightmare Nova, in control of the sun, strived to bring Equestria under an eternal day of fire and destruction.
But alas, it was never to be. For the love between Princess Luna of the night and Princess Twilight proved too powerful. Nightmare Nova was vanquished, and Princess Twilight was restored.
And so, Equestria would enter a new age of friendship and harmony. Cadenza would return, and Twilight and Luna would be joined in matrimony.
With love victorious, the four alicorns continued to rule Equestria benevolently, and harmony has been maintained throughout the generations ever since.
Canterlot Castle, a thousand years after Nightmare Nova
Twilight closed the book she had been reading to the small foals snuggled soundly into the bed. Twins, one a filly and one a colt, both alicorns.
Twilight’s children.
Both foals had drifted to sleep as Twilight read them their bedtime story. They were snuggled against one another as their soft snores signified their departure into the realm of dreams where Luna would likely frolic and play with her children in the most wonderful dream she could conjure for her little ones.
Twilight herself would likely join them, but first she had some things to take care of.
“They look peaceful,” Celestia smiled, standing behind Twilight.
“They are so well behaved,” Twilight stated with a soft smile. “Most of the time anyway.”
Twilight got up and walked out of her children’s room and into the corridor, passing by guards who nodded to the pair.
“I take it there are no problems with the obelisk?” Twilight asked, thinking of the artefact they had painstakingly transferred to Canterlot Castle centuries prior. Even if they couldn’t be around all the time due to it being quite taxing to do so, it was nice that Celestia and her Ponyville friends could visit every now and then.
“No,” Celestia confirmed. “It’s working fine again, though we should be more careful with the amount of time we spend in the world of the living.”
Twilight stopped in the middle of the corridor, giving Celestia a light nuzzle. “We’ll work something out. Anyway, I’ve got some things I need to sign, and then I’m going to bed.”
“Then I will leave you to it, my faithful student,” Celestia said with a nod. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Twilight said in return, Celestia fading in a small flash of light a moment later.
Twilight smiled, continuing along the castle corridors. When they had first brought the artefact back, she had suggested Celestia retake her title of princess. But due to her limited time she could spend in the world each trip, needing a relatively close proximity to the artefact and her own insistence that her time had passed, it never happened.
She was just Celestia now.
Still, through all the tragedy and suffering it had all worked out in the end. She was married to the mare of her dreams, had two lovely children and was even in contact with those she lost every now and then thanks to the obelisk. Celestia, her brother, her friends… they couldn’t be there all the time but the time she did have with them was more than enough. It was a bonus that she would treasure for every moment it lasted.
All in all, Princess Twilight Sparkle was happy.