Revelations and Royalty
& & &
The shimmering white alicorn strode forth as daylight bloomed behind her. She stretched her wings and tilted her head back. Yes, Celestia was back.
Everypony in the room stood ramrod still until they finally remembered to bow. The silence was broken by Rainbow Dash’s enthused cry. “CELESTIA!” She bolted over to her mentor, tears of joy glistening in her eyes.
Smiling beatifically, Celestia rested her neck on Rainbow Dash’s, her wing resting on Dash’s back. “Rainbow Dash, my loyal student.” Her voice radiated kindness and warmth. Rainbow closed her eyes, letting Celestia sooth her, burying her face in Celestia’s side. It was a perfect moment.
That ended suddenly when Rainbow Dash snapped her head up in realization. “WHAT THE HAY?!”
“Rainbow Dash?” Came the soft, gentle query.
The anxious pegasus backed away, almost trembling with repressed emotions that ran the gamut from insanely delighted to blood-boiling furious. “You heard me!” She barked at the Princess of the Sun, indifferent to the looks of shock and horror she was receiving from her friends. “What is this?! I thought you were dead! And now you show up after everything’s over without an explanation, just a smile and a pat on the head, ‘good job, Rainbow Dash.’ Nu-uh!” She shook her head. “This isn’t gonna fly! I want to know exactly what the hay’s going on, right now!”
Celestia bowed her head to her temperamental student. “You are right, I do have much to answer for and I promise, I will explain everything.” She raised her head and looked at something behind Dash. “But everything is not over yet.” Celestia walked forward, her hoofsteps ringing loud and clear on the stone floor. Rainbow turned just in time to see Celestia stop before the fallen and shaking alicorn who was once the fierce and terrible Nightmare Moon. Everypony held their breath.
Celestia extended her hoof, bringing it slowly towards her face. The shivering smaller alicorn trembled and looked away, as if expecting a blow to fall on her. Instead, Celestia gently stroked her cheek, before resting her hoof on her shoulder. “Princess Luna…” Rainbow Dash gave a small start before staring in shock, as was everypony else present. “It’s been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this…” She knelt down next to her.
Dash’s flapped her wings anxiously. “Celestia, don’t! She’s—”
“My little sister.” Finished the sun princess softly.
“SISTER?!” Everypony repeated in shock.
Pinkie Pie gasped. “That can’t be true…it’s impossible!” She paused. “No, wait, actually when you think about it, it was kinda obvious…”
“Shh!” Hissed Rarity.
Rainbow Dash was gobsmacked. “S-sister?” Her wings trembled. “Nightmare Moon is your SISTER?”
Celestia shook her head. “No, not Nightmare Moon: Luna. Nightmare Moon was a creature of darkness born out of jealousy and bitterness. It eventually overwhelmed and subsumed Luna from the inside out and turned her into the villain you defeated.”
To say Rainbow Dash looked skeptical would do as understatement of the year until the next one came along. “A huh.” She said noncommittally. Seeing her disbelief, Celestia shook her head.
“I know this is a lot to take in and accept…but believe me, you have nothing more to fear from Nightmare Moon. She is gone forever.” She laid her wing across Luna’s back. “And now I have my sister back…thanks to you. Thank you, thank you all.”
Applejack inclined her head, removing her hat with one hoof. “Aw, shucks your highness, tweren’t nothing. Well, ah mean, glad to be of service?”
Smiling gently, Celestia turned back to her sister. “Luna…you and I were meant to rule together. Can we leave the past behind us and start anew? Will you accept my friendship?”
There was a tense moment as everypony hung to hear Luna’s reply, Dash narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Luna sniffled, her eyes trembling as she buried her face in Celestia’s neck. “I’m so sorry! I’ve…I’ve missed you big sister.”
Celestia’s eyes were wet as she rested her head atop Luna’s. “So have I little sister.”
As Pinkie Pie bawled happily, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and snorted. “Give me a break.” She muttered. A sudden shriek from Rarity drew everpony’s attention.
“Oh my, look at this!” She squealed giddily, fighting to stand still as she eagerly showed off a golden necklace that had appeared around her neck, a green gem in the shape of one of the diamonds of her Cutie Mark.
“It’s so pretty.” Fluttershy admired.
“So is yours darling.” Rarity replied, smiling. True enough, Fluttershy was wearing a necklace of her own with a yellow butterfly-shaped gem in the middle. The others were wearing necklaces of their own, each featuring a gem: a green diamond for Rarity, a yellow butterfly for Fluttershy, an orange apple for Applejack, a blue balloon for Pinkie Pie, a purple six-pointed star for Twilight and a red lightning bolt for Rainbow Dash.
Twilight looked them over in amazement. “So…these are the Elements of Harmony? I thought Nightmare Moon destroyed them!”
Celestia shook her head. “No…she merely destroyed their casings. While they manifest themselves in physical form, the Elements themselves are indestructible. The six of you embody the six elements that make Harmony possible: laughter, generosity, honesty, kindness, loyalty and magic.”
“That’s it!” Twilight blurted out, unable to contain herself. “The six of us were connected by Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom! We were somehow…connected, drawn to one another.”
Celestia nodded approvingly. “Well reasoned. It was not enough for you all to become a ‘Bearer’ if you will, of an Element of Harmony. You needed to establish ties with one another for the Elements to be used to their fullest and best use. It was the power of your friendship, which was and is stronger than the sum of its parts, that managed to purge the darkness from Luna and stop Nightmare Moon.”
“So…” everypony looked to see Rainbow Dash looking at them, her tone flat and her face impassive. “What now?”
& & &
The answer to ‘what now’ involved heading back to Ponyville. Rainbow would’ve asked why Celestia couldn’t just magic them all back but she figured that coming back from the dead must’ve really taken it out of a pony. She looked around. Celestia was shepherding Luna along, not wanting to let her sister out of her sight. While Rainbow Dash agreed with the sentiment, her motivation was entirely different than Celestia’s.
The royal pegasi guards Steelwing and Silver Lining flanked the royals, despite the fact that they were now defending the princess who—a short few hours earlier—had turned them into twisted parodies of themselves. They were undoubtedly tired and in dire need of rest and recuperation. Of course being guards, they would have none of it. They marched along, their faces frozen into the impassive guard visage refusing to betray how tired and hurt they undoubtedly were. Even Celestia knew better than to attempt to order them to stand down.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down, singing little nonsense songs in glee as Rarity walked alongside Fluttershy, unable to keep her eyes off her necklace as she gushed about the possibilities of what outfits would best go with it, Fluttershy smiling and nodding in all the right places. Applejack was walking with Twilight and Shining Armor, the two of them snuggled close and glad to be in each others company.
Rainbow Dash had just noticed Ditzy Doo as the gray pegasus flew up to be with her. “Hey Rainbow Dash!” She chirped happily, her face all smiles. “Hasn’t today been incredible?”
Nodding vaguely Rainbow mumbled. “Yeah…incredible.” Ditzy didn’t seem to notice as she happily chatted away.
“I mean there was Nightmare Moon and, well, all that bad stuff but then you guys came in and started glowing and fighting, PIFF, POW, BONK! And then you performed another Sonic Rainboom!” Ditzy giggled, hugging herself with glee. “It was so incredible! And then you stopped Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia came back and then it turned out that we have *another* princess now and…Rainbow? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Rainbow grumbled unconvincingly.
All of a sudden Ditzy Doo went from being the cheery if endearingly scatterbrained clutz everypony knew and loved, to being the responsible mom. “Rainbow Miriam Dash…” She stretched out Rainbow’s full name, ensuring she had her undivided attention. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Rainbow Dash threw her hooves up in frustration. “Everything! The fact that after she spent the entire night trying to kill us, we’re walking into town with Nightmare Moon!” She rolled her eyes. “Oh excuse me, ‘Princess Luuuna’” Dash crossed her hooves. “Great excuse, next time I do something wrong, be sure to remind me to blame my evil alter-ego who just happens to vanish when I get caught. And then there’s the fact that she’s Celestia’s long lost sister—something she never bothered to mention to me when all this was going down!” Rainbow Dash was on a roll, snorting like a bull ready to charge. “And then there’s the whole, ‘I’m dying, oh wait, no I’m not’ thing she pulled on me OR the fact that she shows up AFTER everything’s over! What a complete load of horseapples!”
Ditzy gasped. “Rainbow Dash—Watch your language!” She looked around. “Princess Celestia might hear you!”
“Good! I hope she does!” Rainbow smacked her hooves together. “She deserves to have somepony tell her just what she put me—put all of us—through! I’m so mad…I’m just so mad that I’m—”
“Happy to have her back?” Ditzy offered, resting a hoof on Dash’s withers. “I bet you’re happy and angry and sad all mixed up?” Rainbow Dash lowered her head, her aggressive posture suddenly melting away.
She sighed. “How could she do this to me?” Rainbow mumbled. “How could she just…leave when I needed her the most and then appear after it’s over like she just went out to do some errands? Why?”
“Maybe because she realized that you were strong enough to handle it.” Ditzy hugged her. “Every bird has to push their baby out of the nest to make it fly sometime. I think she knew that this was your time to soar.”
Rainbow Dash hugged her in return. “But Ditz, you could’ve been…hurt.” Her pause reflected that she changed her wording midway through. “Shining Armor could’ve been hurt, or Dinky or Twilight or Applejack or any of the others…somepony could’ve gotten hurt and it would’ve been *my* fault for not being able to stop it.”
“Shhh…Dash. It’s okay. It’s okay.” Ditzy repeated, rubbing her back. “It’s over now. And I’m so, SO proud of you.” Rainbow’s only response was a subdued sniffle.
After a moment, a gentle cough from below drew their attention. “Um, ladies?” The two pegasi looked down. It was Shining Armor. “Can…I have a minute with Rainbow Dash please?”
Rainbow swallowed nervously, giving a weak nod. “Yeah, sure.” Ditzy gave her a brief look that promised they’d talk later if Dash needed it. Then she flew off, giving the two some space.
Dash landed in front of Shining Armor, folding her wings and matching his slow even gait. The others were still walking up ahead and nopony seemed to be paying them any particular mind. “So…” Rainbow started. “What’s—”
“I’m sorry.” Shining Armor said abruptly, regret plastered on his face. “I am so, so sorry about—”
Rainbow Dash held up a hoof. “Shiny…it’s cool. I know you weren’t yourself when…”
But this time Shining Armor was the one to cut her off. “It’s not that.” He looked depressed. “Well, of course I’m sorry about that but…that isn’t what I meant.” Shining took a deep breath. “Rainbow…I—I should’ve said this a long time ago. I—”
Rainbow sighed. “It’s okay.” She said softly, her cheeks still flushing. “I know you don’t…we really don’t need to talk about this.”
“Yes, we do. Dashie…” Shining Armor reached out and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I am *so* sorry. I realized that you had…” He searched for the right words. “…Feelings for me a while ago, but I didn’t know they ran so deep. I’m sorry, that was unfair to you. I should’ve…I don’t know. I should’ve sat you down and told you that…”
“You don’t have to say it.” Rainbow Dash shivered. “I know.” Her voice cracked.
Shining Armor sighed. “Oh Dash…c’mere.” He didn’t have to ask twice. Rainbow buried herself in his neck as he rubbed her back. “You know I think you’re awesome, right?” She nodded weakly. “Well, don’t you forget it! It’s not just anypony who’s Princess Celestia’s student, a totally wicked flier who performed a Sonic Rainboom and saved the world! And most importantly…” he lowered his voice. “It’s not just anypony I would trust with the most important pony in my life: just you.” He looked at her. “Thank you for taking such good care of Twilight.”
“She’s a big girl. She took care of herself mostly.” Rainbow admitted. “She’s cool.”
Shining smiled. “I’m really happy to hear you say that. That’s some high praise from you Dash.”
Rainbow gave a weak grin. “She must get it from you.”
That made the white unicorn blush. “Aw, c’mon Dash…” She chuckled at seeing the big tough unicorn’s face go red.
“Aww, it’s okay Shiny Hiney.” She teased gently. “I won’t tell anypony that I made you blush.”
Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “You’re impossible.” He nudged her.
“That’s me!” She beamed proudly.
The older unicorn chuckled. “Yeah it is.” His smile straightened out. “You know, there are a lot of ponies who would be really lucky to have a mare like you, um, interested in them.”
“But not you.” She sighed. “I get it. I’m just a foal next to you, huh?”
He exhaled. “Rainbow…I’m sorry. I just don’t think of you that way. I know it hurts, but it’s…well, a crush. I’m not trying to make light of it, but everypony has gone through what you’re going through and they’ve all made it out okay. You will too.”
Rainbow’s face contorted in anger. “No it isn’t! It’s not the same! You’re just so…so amazing and cool and…where am I supposed to find another pony as awesome as you?” Her voice took on a forlorn note. “It’s not fair…”
“Dash, it’s not like we aren’t going to always have the chance to hang out and have fun together.” He promised, rubbing her mane. “You’re one of my best friends ever…what is it that you think is missing that being special someponies would add?”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out for a long moment. “I-I don’t know. I just want…I want something more than ‘just friends!’”
“Dashie…we are not ‘JUST friends’” Shining said firmly. “You are one of my best friends in the whole world! We tell each other everything, we play games, you come to me when you need to blow off steam…that’s not nothing Dash.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “Do you know why I kept trying to get you and Twilight to meet?”
“Because you wanted us to be friends and you wanted her to be less of an eggheaded shut in and me to think things through more?” Rainbow offered.
Shining nodded. “In part. The truth is, you’ve been a big part of my life ever since I got into the guard: this fast, mischievous, hotshot filly.” He cracked a small smile. “It’s been like having another little sister…and that’s what you are to me Dash: you’re like my other little sister.” He rubbed her head in a noogie, mussing up her mane as she squeaked in feeble protest. “That’s why I wanted you and Twilight to meet…I wanted the two most special fillies I knew to meet each other. My two little sisters.”
Rainbow Dash blushed brilliantly. “Aw Shining…” she hugged him. “You big sap.”
“Heh, I guess.” He embraced her again. “I’ll always be there for you. I promise.”
After a long minute of hugging, Rainbow stepped back. “So…who is the lucky mare?” She asked.
Shining Armor rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks flushed. “Um, well…do you remember your old foalsitter?”
Rainbow Dash thought back. “Um, you don’t mean that sour old mare with the glasses and wrinkly face? Isn’t she like, old enough to be your grandmother?”
The thought made Shining pull a face. “Not her! Your other foalsitter—Cadance.”
“Cadance?” Rainbow blinked, remembering the pink unicorn princess who foalsit her when Celestia was unavailable. “Hay, yeah I remember Cadance! She was awesome! How do you know her?”
“Aside from being a royal guard and her being royalty?” Shining chuckled. “Cadance used to foalsit for Twilight too. She loves foals, so she ended up foalsitting for a lot of folks around Canterlot.”
Rainbow nodded, remembering the pink face she saw at Shining’s home that time she followed him. “So Cadance huh?” She tapped her muzzled pretending to think it over. “Yeah, I guess she’s okay. You could’ve done worse.”
“Gee, thanks Dash.” Shining deadpanned. “Seriously though, I do appreciate you approving.”
Dash shrugged. “No problem…” A stray thought occurred. “Have you told Twilight yet?”
The unicorn suddenly came down with a fit of coughing. When he recovered all he could say was, “Umm….”
Well, that answered that.
A mischievous twinkle entered her eye. “If you’ll excuse me for a second, I need to go talk to Twilight.” She started to slip away. “Good talk Shiny. See ya!”
“Now hold on a second! Rainbow Dash get back here!” Shining ordered. “Don’t you dare—!”
Rainbow Dash laughed as she flew up ahead, Shining Armor issuing dire threats from the ground beneath her. Finally, a sense of normalcy!
& & &
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Epilog? Anyway, great story with happy ending.
Loved this! Also, loved that ending! This was the best chapter yet!
Not epilogue... yet.
I now have an image of Twilight and Rainbow doing the ladybug dance that I can't get out of my head...
I find myself with very little to say about this chapter, aside from noticing the tweaks you did to Rarity's, Fluttershy's and Twilight's Elements. Then again, changing the colors on the Elements of Kindness and Generosity was a nice touch. Personally, I always felt that the canon Elements incorporated too much red and pink. Yes, I know the show's geared toward little girls, but a little color contrast wouldn't have hurt.
Anyway, I remember you saying in the last chapter that you weren't done with this story. Since the tension between Rainbow Dash and Celestia has been (um... resolved?), I guess there's also trying to get everyone to accept Luna, as well as Twilight and Rainbow staying in Ponyville. I guess there's also the possibility of reimagining some of the later episodes, but... hm, is there an emoticon for boredom?
OOOHHHH horseapples. Gonna be a long read. I'll put it off. For now.
I do like this better than the first two episodes. But then again... almost anything is better.
There are no words that can tell the level of grand Bucking EPICNESS of this story!
I liked this bit. Dash definitely is passionate, and she's having to deal with all that entails. Very nice, especially how everything merges into the actual show's ending.
Ill read as soon as the incomplete button jumps to complete, if i finish before its finished ill go nuts waiting for the next chapter :P
1203340
This!
I know this isn't meant to be an ongoing thing but I cant help but wish this story would be a start of an alternate universe series like the Lunaverse. It would be like the ...Rainbowverse. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Rainbow_Dash.png
1203547
I agree with this fellow. A series of stories in this Alternate Universe would be awesome. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Sweetie_happy.png
I think I said it earlier but Rainbow is SUCH are more interesting protege and favorite student than Twilight Sparkle. Twilight is best pony but she's best pony without any help; a highly-intelligent, good-natured, immensely magical pony with a relatively sedate personality isn't much of a foil for a highly-intelligent, good-natured, immensely-magical pony with a relatively sedate personality. High-energy, roguishly charming, fairly-intelligent-but-not-genius, fearlessly common (in a really, really good way), however, is an awesome foil for a highly-intelligent, good-natured, immensely-magical pony with a relatively sedate personality.
I 'stache you, sir. I 'stache you without reservation.
Well done, oh very well done ser.
This was a pleasure to read, whether this is the end or you continue from here.
Thank you for writing this.
1203340
1203467
That needs to be a thing!
So, hope for future mega-Crossover between Luna-, Rainbow- and Maneverse still in play?
Eitherway, AWESOME!!!!
1203798
Crisis on Three Equestrias!
1203547 The Awesomeverse!
That was very nice. I liked how you wrapped things up and incorporated Cadence at the end there, especially the fact that Twilight did not know about her.
More the Sun Goddess commands you!!!
Also, WTF Celly? Why do you always pull the same shit all the time?
Twilight's reaction when Rainbow tells her about Cadence:
xD Im loving this story just a thought but id love to see this stretched out over other episodes i really think you've struck gold ^_^
This is such a great alternate universe!
Aww, no big crown thingy. Probably for the best, it wouldn't have worked as well with Dash's cutie mark.
Loved Dash and Shining Armor's conversation.
1203340 my god, that image, damn you, its stuck in my head now!
DANG IT! It ended... More?
Di...did rainbow Dash just get Friend Zoned by Shining Armour?!
I really like that Dash was more critical of princess Celestia's role in the whole thing than Twilight was in her place. It suits Dash's character to be a little less trusting and a little more inclined to call out authority figures.
Finally a happy ending for rainbow dash!
if i were a guy, i would totally accept RD
Damn. I was really hoping RD and Shining would end up together.
Is this it?
Oh well. Great ending. I've loved this entire story. THANKXS for this!
1203340
TREND THIS. TREND IT NOW.
1203600
I third this motion.
1207922
Hey if you wanna contribute/write something I'm not gonna stop you!
“Luna…you and I were meant to rule together."
cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/9410188.jpg
This has been awesome, which means I need MOAR. Please.
1208070
I'm working on Ditzy's backstory at the moment, otherwise I would. Feel free to use that, if you like!
(I'm also busy traumatizing her girls, but I figured you'd be less inclined to use that continuity.)
*Before reading*
Lessee... RD as Celestia's protege? Hm, nothing bad could come out of that...
*After reading*
Great work dude. Wonderfully familiar, yet distinct to "T". Bravo, bravo. 
WOAH
P.S. RD as protege is hard mode for MLP.
lol i love this story, i have been following it for like evah, so happy to see how it turned out, i think thats the end neways...well i love it
The subtext is back! Huzzah for the subtext!
Rainbow Dash
one of the few ponies with the guts to yell at the princess.
the others being the Doctor and plausibly Fluttershy.
I loved this fic to pieces and definitely want to see more. If you ever feel like writing in this 'verse again, anyway. As for writing it ourselves, I don't think anything I could write would measure up to the golden standards you've set with this one.
I feel like there will be an epilogue? Maybe it's just me but there seems to be a few loose ends still left.
1215080
It isn't over until I write 'The End' and mark this fic as completed. So don't worry.
1215136 YES! Fears are now abated!
The only thing I don't get about MLP is how Cadence went from. Being a unicorn to beig an alicorn I mean she isn't royalty she just a foal sitter IT MAKES NO SENSE
I am 
to find out how this is posible
Sweet! Not quite over yet, but the adventure has been awesome!
And i have to agree with the above posters: this story NEEDS to get its own verse like the Lunaverse!
Related, this and Lunaverse have inspired me to write my own... alternative opening. I wanna get some other stories out of the way first(for experience) but it is gonna happen!
1203341 ooh! I have one you can borrow! cdn.broni.es/images/emotes/mlp-rbored.png
this story so far, it deserves something good.
Well with Rainbow dash and twilight the "good" old queen of the Changlings wont be as dramatic I think then again Twilight is more meek in this without Celestai's support...then again Rainbow's support seems to be boosting Twilight so..hu interesting thought.
But what you said earler is true these two do make the best of the team and being 2 of the 3 combaters of the bunch...i guess it could be 4 counting pinkie...but still out of them the leader and main fighters are gonna end up being Rainbow dash Twilight And then Applejack and maybe pinkie though i wouldnt plave her in a leadership role of anykind until lthe babies come along ANYWOO rant went on two long 
I enjoyed it so far so I'll keep reading still alittle niffed for Twilight and all but thats me and i enjoy this story even though dash is about as sencible as a bag of rocks in my min- *rants* maybe i should take up a role as Nightmare Moon rant partner...hu
1219285
There was a kiddie book about it or something.
She was a Pegasi in that book thought before she became an Alicorn. 
It was on wikipedia or the mlp wiki somewhere, I forget where tho.
1206718
me too
This story was going good until you put Cadence in their, I dislike her the most out of every pony in this entire show