A Fresh Breath on the Highest Mountain Top
Princess Celestia and Luna are Alive and Well
B_25
The mountain perplexed ever since she'd been young and, even since the day she'd earned her wings, the pony turned alicorn Princess Celestia did not dare to fly to its peak. Something sacred, at least in her mind, didn't deserve to be cheated.
Frigid winds blew. Snow rose against her sinking hooves. The fur of her coat froze, twice over, strands slick due to the ice encrusted within them. And yet Celestia, the mare and not the princess, continued to climb—despite lacking an answer as to why.
And she had been disappointed once she reached the top. Not because something holy loomed at the top. Nor because her life had changed in any significant way. But rather, as her forehooves threw over onto the surface of its top, holding tightly to it as she pulled herself over, Celestia rolled onto its ground.
“It would appear you've finally made it.”
The second thing Celestia did, upon rolling onto the top of the mountain, was to roll her eyes. Her muzzle laid into the thick layer of snow. It cooled her in a warming way. The aching, burning muscles of her body—pressed against ice. “I don't see your wings tied.”
“Unlike you, dear sister of mine, I am not a fan of inefficiencies.” Luna sat leaning back against the block of white, a tight moon-blue jacket clinging to her slender frame. Her small muzzle barely peeked out from the hood. An obnoxious amount of white fluff surrounded it. “You may make life harder for yourself however much you wish.”
Even though she had climbed the impossible, pushed her body to its limits, and now was more, far more deserving of a break... Celestia rose onto her hooves, weakly, feeling them buckle as they fought to raise her full weight. What little weight she still had, at least.
“But I plan to enjoy my time as much as I can,” Luna added.
“Oh?” Celestia squinted back at her. “A-And you've come to the top of the tallest mountain—“
“Because I love my sister who likes to make my life harder for me,” Luna said while placing a hoof against her chest, “than I love my life of comfort. Rest assured, dear sister, that you will be joining me in that comfort rather soon.”
Celestia stumbled over to the reclined mare, the snow crunching beneath her hoof, the winds blowing her hair—almost like how it'd been before. It wasn't mere power doing it now, but rather the power of the world from its highest peak, having been earned even for a moment upon climbing all the way here.
“Isn't that the truth.”
Celestia proceeded to turn and lean her back against the same block as her sister, delighting in letting her legs slide against the ground as she lowered herself against it. Within seconds, the sisters sat back, together, inches apart.
Wordlessly, Luna held her hoof in the air and, after a couple of seconds, Celestia rose her foreleg—meeting that hoof with her own, a subtle and dull clop touching both of their ears. Then their hooves fell, still touching, filling the gap in-between.
“I get to choose the location,” Celestia began between bouts of her little panting, “and then you get to choose next. That is the deal.” She looked over at her sister, finding her staring out toward the horizon... where the sun slowly rose. “You've allowed me to cross out a dream. What place do you desire next?”
But Luna blinked. “How come you are not more proud?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“There is nothing in this world you can hide from me.” Luna continued to watch the sunrise, her every breath blowing a cloud of fog. “For I am your sister, and I know everything. We've agreed to always share and never leave any feeling a mystery to the other.”
Celestia turned her head back, also staring at the sun, hollow, but not empty.
“So answer,” Luna said. “And please, do not make me repeat.”
Celestia blew a breath of fog of her own. She thought of what to say but then closed her eyes. No breaking their agreement. Rather, when her eyes opened, she spoke the truth. “A scroll appeared when I had started to climb.”
“From...”
“Yes.” Celestia sighed, though the howl of winds cried louder. “There were only a few seconds for me to act. I could have done something, used my horn or freed my wings after. But I didn't.” Her muzzle dipped as the breeze washed across her cheeks. “I didn't even watch it fall.”
“And yet you climbed.”
“And yet, I did.”
Luna turned from the sun. She turned to her sister with a smile. Not a kind forced to make another feel better, or something summoned consciously at all. In all their years of acting, of pretending and using polished words, here was a moment--one of the first--where reactions happened on their own, and they were genuine in feeling.
“Are you worried about her, dear sister?”
Celestia also tried to smile but felt the weight drop from the corners of her lips. Her eyes drifted shut once more, trying to deny the world and take comfort within her own soul. But she shook her head. The days of receding had long since ceased. “I-I... do.”
“Even now?” Luna rubbed their hooves together, urging Celestia's eyes to open once more. “When the rays of the sun warm our legs? When its light spreads across the land? Look thy's eyes forward, sister, to that which we passed on.”
And so she did. She opened her eyes to the sun rising without her aid, without her wisdom, without her presence and her power. Like the wings she'd tied around her waist, so too had slowly become true of her horn.
“This world may mourn for us, dear sister,” Luna continued with her eyes now closed and lips in a big smile, “so is it not time for us to enjoy ourselves? Like this mountain you have just climbed, you have earned this.”
Celestia did something she hadn't done in a long, all so very long time. She didn't laugh and she didn't giggle. But rather she chuckled. Slowly. Each one heavy with a weight she drew from her chest and left upon the world. Her days of self-inflicted punishment, it seemed, were now over.
“So... about that spa of legends located in the Badlands...”
Luna laughed. “Let us enjoy the sunset a little longer, dear sister.”
Celestia smiled.
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Very refreshing. I’m honestly surprised how eagerly people are writing the deaths of these two with season nine’s end. Writing the sisters not entirely pleased with their life in retirement is one thing, but the way they’re shuffled off to being departed in the latest finale reaction story is getting ridiculous.
images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/a743e9f3-2a95-4582-8bb6-6c33cb5bc0dd/ddir6sc-a11f6197-ec4c-4846-859b-4fc2e54ce6dc.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2E3NDNlOWYzLTJhOTUtNDU4Mi04YmI2LTZjMzNjYjViYzBkZFwvZGRpcjZzYy1hMTFmNjE5Ny1lYzRjLTQ4NDYtODU5Yi00ZmMyZTU0Y2U2ZGMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.XPZxuL6iYk9U6Sux5iyZf8YyPOLEVT3FMNypPKogqVM
9896831
It's because the next logical step after retirement is death for most. At least, it's an easy beat to, well, beat. I don't mind those stories though they all tend to hit the same themes and expressions. Really, this was me craving something slightly different. Just something different, ya know?
Also long time no call. You still have Discord at all?
9896837
True, though it’s a little narrow-minded for that to be where everything falls, especially when a viewer can also draw the conclusion that the alicorns don’t die, or that the retirement is so they can expand their horizons.
I do, but I’m not really on.
9896841
It's the way of things, ya know? People go for the most apparent thing until it becomes cliche. Readers grow tired of those cliches. Then those writers become more clever with their plot to gain those readers back. The stream will exhaust itself soon enough and, in its place, different ideas will sprawl.
And true. If you do ever feel like chatting, however, feel free to hit me up.
B_25#4689
~Yr. Pal, B
Perfection
9896848
Sure thing.
And yeah, fandom cliches are particularly stubborn lately. Some of the fics managed to be good call outs, but others are just tired rehashes.
9896851
I feel that.
Very short, but very well done. I'm glad to see at least somebody is realizing how many adventures these two can go on with their newfound freedom.
Definitely putting this in my favorites. :)
9896883
Thank you, broski. The story was going to be these few going through a few more spots and events together, but really, after this one, I felt like nothing more was needed, ya know? Glad you liked it so much!
This was a sweet tale
Wow, this made me all fuzzy and warm inside, good job! I honestly think you got the sisters character down to a t here.
This was really sweet! I liked Luna's entrance here a lot--just the image of her chilling out on the mountaintop while Celestia climbs is so adorable and so Luna
It's sort of subtly tragic to think about how ordinary they feel at this stage of their lives, though. Especially with the little touches about Celestia's mane no longer doing the eternal billowy thing we know and love, it's difficult not to think that their current state is quite a step down from what they used to be, if they've actually given up some of their power like that.
Nice. Personally, I think they'll do the retirement thing for a few centuries, get tired of it, and find something more productive to do with their time. Start a space colonization program or something,
(Really, it's like they're parents and the fanfic community is Disney.
)
9897562
Thanks for the kind words as always, Naiad.
Is that how that came across? The portrayal was more optimistic in my mind. The mountain had been something tall and something sacred in Celestia's head when she was a filly. Now then, upon getting her wings and powers and whatnot, if she wanted to, she could teleport or fly to the top of that mountain. It wasn't something he could during her time as a princess due to the powers that came with it—as simply existing as once.
It's only now she can truly reach the top of the mountain as she craved as a filly and, not only that, but because through the effort of her will, the winds high above blow her mane instead of some given celestial power. I didn't mean it to mean what was lost, but rather, what had been earned. But different interpretations of stuff always rocks!
~ Yr. Pal, B
Suddenly I had to think of this one:
Anyway, good story!
I enjoyed reading it.
I can not understand one thing - Why ignoring letter from Twilight helps Celestia not to worry about her?
11227289
Because they have faith that Twilight—all on her own—will be able to succeed.
11227334
Ok, but it doesn't mean they can't talk with her. Cutting off contact is rude and not necessary
11227381
It is for this story in this context.