And the Crown Goes On

by AizakkuHorooee

Act 3

When Applejack, Spike and I enter the throne room, Pinkie Pie is hanging from the ceiling in a piñata costume, and Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are massaging some of the geese.

“I can’t believe this worked!” Rainbow Dash comments in pleasant shock.

“I guess sometimes the best plan is the one you expect,” replies Spike, swinging his arms around.

My eyes are currently set on the foil crown sitting on Celestia’s throne. “All I have to do now is fly over and take the crown, and I’ll be Sibling Supreme forever!”

When I get ready to take off, Celestia, Luna and my brother all come around to reveal themselves in front of me. “Not exactly,” Shining Armor says.

“OH COME ON!!!” I shout, flailing my forelegs before he approaches me.

“Gotta admit, it was unexpected for you to do everything exactly how I thought you would. But you should know by now, there’s no way to beat the true Sibling Supreme!” gloats my brother.

Celestia walks to me to Shining Armor’s left, speaking in an sympathetic tone. “I am sorry, Twilight. But it looks as though Shining Armor has truly won the crown.”

During Celestia’s apology, the door opens unexpectedly to Aita and her friends. The medal she used to open the door is revealed to be Chrysalis. “That’s the thing about looks.” Everyone turns to Aita as she floats the crown that was previously on the throne atop her head. “They can be deceiving.”

“AITA?!?” I exclaim as everyone, including the geese around us, is visibly shocked by the sight of Aita wearing the crown instead of me, Shining Armor, or even Spike.

“How in Equestria did you do it?!?” Shining Armor asks, extending his foreleg.

“As you can see, since Twilight DID say I was family on my first birthday in Equestria, I get to participate in the Sibling Supreme with my own set of friends,” Aita smugly starts to explain, flying up to all of us and pointing back to her friends. While Firelight, Lightning Dust, Trace Light, and Cozy Glow are innocuously smiling for Aita, Chrysalis is holding back laughter as Starlight appears to be holding a tuning fork with the same smirk Aita is giving on her face.

“Starlight and Cozy rounded up the troops, and Chrysalis gave me a list of obstacles for the trip home, so the only thing I needed to do was find a way to meet up with everypony in front of the throne room. So, Chrysalis and Starlight made sure I could stay as a medal when Firelight and Sunset went in by retuning the shards to allow changeling magic to work, then I distracted the geese to let Lightning Dust in, and chased them back in when everypony was in one place. Then all Chrysalis had to do was float the crown while Shining Armor was gloating, allowing me to snag the crown.”

I do remember me, Spike, and Aita leaving Starlight and Cozy alone back home. And Shining Armor did state Chrysalis had a say on the throne shards. I also remember I didn’t see Aita for a while and we went searching for him before going back home to discuss my plan to get the crown. And I was so distracted by my own mission, I never did consider Aita could’ve partaken in the Sibling Supreme herself.

Celestia clears her throat as Luna comes behind her on the left, and Chrysalis teleports to the right. “I, uh, apologize, for not listening to your concerns, sister. It seems we need to make adjustments to account for threats inside the castle as well as out… if you agree.”

“If you think it’s worth discussing,” replies Luna.

“That and maybe we should use our own resources from now on,” Chrysalis adds. “Shining Armor did tell you all I had my say on the shards.”

The three walk out of the throne room, Celestia and Luna with forced smiles.

“Soooo, if Twilight, Shining Armor and even Spike failed, who gets the crown?” Rainbow Dash asks, prompting Aita to take the crown off and hang her head.

“The true Sibling Supreme… Cozy Glow, Trace Light, if you’d please…” Cozy Glow and Trace Light race over at my cue and place the crown back on Aita’s head. “Aita.”

“Our newcomer little sister… wouldn’t be fair if she didn’t win this,” Shining Armor answers as everyone comes in for a group hug, including the rest of Aita’s friends.

Then I spot something on Trace Light as everyone else disperses from the hug. “Wait a minute! A new cutie mark?!? Trace Light, that’s amazing! Pinkie Pie, were you going to plan her Cute-ceañera?!?”

“You bet, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie leaps in the air out of her piñata suit and shoots out confetti from hammerspace.

“Lucky for you all, everypony is invited!” Trace Light announces to all of us.

---

When the princesses and I leave the throne room, we end up actually in a familiar room: the ceremony hall that I remember all too well. By now, the princesses have wiped away their forced smiles.

“Queen Chrysalis,” starts Celestia with a bitter facial expression. “Can you tell me what this hall is?”

“The ceremony hall,” I flatly state. “where I first revealed myself at the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence.”

“And do you know why we’ve brought you here?” Luna asks. “...mostly sister though…”

I nod. “Of course. Because I had worked with Aita so that she would retrieve the Sibling Supreme crown, and it wasn’t even my first inside assistance, that taking place here.”

“Exactly! And in the process, you sabotaged Shining Armor’s defenses again!” Celestia takes a deep breath after letting me know exactly what she felt I did wrong. “…what I want to know is why.”

I begin walking around Celestia and Luna. “I may be able read ponies like an open book, but ever since I got my hive back, I’ve limited that use to saving Equestria. I may have given up my more selfish desires, but Aita is just as close to me as she is to Twilight. And because of my soft spot for ponies so young…”

Celestia looks a bit surprised, taking my hint. “This was entirely for Aita?” she concludes.

“Of course, sister. Chrysalis wasn’t the only one attempting to assist a third party, but as soon as I figured out what she and Starlight were doing, I simply let her demonstrate you and Shining Armor’s shortcomings. He did agree to her terms after all.”

I confirm Luna’s answer with a nod and sit down, facing away from the princesses. “I see a lot of my formative self in Shining Armor. Effective in accomplishment, but tends to revel in that too early… and I know all too well how badly that can end, what with Cadence and Thorax.”

Celestia turns my way, walking over to me and hugging me. “I’m sorry, Queen Chrysalis, for not getting the full story. I truly should’ve listened to Luna’s concerns about Shining Armor’s defenses. You represent his parents’ authority more than I could, and your wisdom shows that.”

I sigh with a faint smile on my face. “Thanks, Celestia. Just know though, you still have a perfectly good place in Twilight and Shining Armor’s lives, just as I do with Aita.”

Luna then joins in on the hug before she and Celestia let go. “So, I saw Aita’s plan went very smoothly. Did anything happen along the way?”

“There is an upcoming Cute-ceañera for Trace Light in Ponyville when everypony gets home. Would you princesses like to attend?” I ask them.

---

Once we return to Ponyville, everyone immediately heads for Sugar Cube Corner to celebrate the acquisition of Trace Light’s cutie mark with a Cute-ceañera. Not only that, Pinkie Pie also wanted to combine that with a Sibling Supreme party for me. And because it’s still part Cute-ceañera, the Cutie Mark Crusaders - yes, even Gabby - attend in addition to everyone who participated in the Sibling Supreme, including the princesses. From what Chrysalis told me, she managed to convince them to attend after settling their disagreements.

At the party, I am still wearing the Sibling Supreme crown. While Starlight is making cocoa for herself and Cozy Glow, the entire Cutie Mark Crusaders team and I are sitting at the far right corner of the bakery, the same spot the team was founded at all those years ago.

“I gotta say, Trace Light, that’s one dynamite cutie mark!” Scootaloo remarks, marking Trace Light nod.

Gabby has her claws on her cheeks in joy. “It’s remarkable you were able to get that crown, Aita! You’re the Sibling Supreme?!? The original three crusaders told me that was just the tip of the iceberg for you!”

“Well, yes,” I reply. “Fitting the pony to help me was experienced in inside jobs, AND it involved Twilight’s brother again.”

“So Trace Light, Cozy Glow inadvertently got you your cutie mark?” asks Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah! She was the one that made me realize pitching in was something that made me happy, like motivation was for her!”

Apple Bloom gives Trace Light a hoof bump. “And we couldn’t think of anything more crusader-like! Y’all deserve this Cute-ceañera, Trace Light!”

Ah, there you are, a familiar voice lightly exclaims from behind me.

Trace Light gasps and flies over me to hug… “Uncle Rusty! Carve!”

Rusty Flashlight appears with Carve right next to him. “We came when we heard you’d gotten your cutie mark, Tracey.”

“And I see Aita’s wearing Twilight and Shining Armor’s crown.” Carve pats my head when she points out the crown. “We’re proud of BOTH of you.”

Cozy Glow joins in on the conversation with her cocoa, sitting next to me and Starlight right behind her. “That Sibling Supreme went so well! But it wasn’t just Trace Light and Aita who should get the credit. It took every one of us to help them reach their goals: Starlight, Chrysalis, Sunset, you name it!”

“And what better way for me and Cozy Glow to celebrate than a toast of my patented empathy cocoa.” Starlight leans into Cozy’s ear. “I’ll give you the recipe to try when you go back to school.”

Cozy Glow beams with delight at the prospect of making cocoa. “Oh golly, yes! I’ve always wanted to try sharing cocoa!”

“So what do you think you’ll do in Canterlot next, Aita?” asks Rusty. “Seeing as how you’re now the final Sibling Supreme?”

“I don’t know. I honestly see Cozy visiting for spring break before that happens. Besides, Sibling Supreme is definitely worth the two years I’ve spent in Ponyville, Canterlot City, the hive, Cloudsdale, Sire’s Hollow, the Crystal Empire, and Fillydelphia. I just hope I get to do more with Shining Armor… although his attitude did remind me a bit of Chrysalis from my time in the real world.”

“Really?” Carve cocks her upper eyelids. “I remember Chrysalis used to love when her plans appeared to go her way, but I never imagined Shining Armor would too.”

“That’s what I thought,” I reply. “But I got those vibes when he was demonstrating his measures, and especially when he claimed the crown for himself… until I snagged it from him.”

An oven bell chimes in the kitchen over the chatter here, making Starlight teleport out. She walks back into the dining room with a pan of chocolate chip cookies in her magic that she sets on a nearby table.

“Well everyone, dig in,” Starlight tells us, so she, Sweetie Belle, Carve and I float all the cookies to everyone at our table, and with the amount Starlight made, we get two each, including her.

I guess from here, all I can say is that the rest of the party goes about as well as I can expect. Everyone there plays a variety of games, socialize and indulge in sweets. Eventually Starlight, Twilight and Shining Armor have a toast of the former’s cocoa for me and Trace Light. I can only imagine what will happen to me next now that I’m Sibling Supreme.