• Published 6th Jan 2012
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My Dearest Students - BubuJones



Immortality can at times be a double edged sword. Celestia recalls past memories of dear students.

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Posey & Medley

Chapter 6: Posey & Medley

Candlelight cast flickering shadows that danced and swayed about the room. In the silence that fell as Celestia concluded her most recent story, Luna arched her neck to gently lay her head on her sister’s side as they gazed at the nine portraits before them. Five ponies had already been elucidated in full biographical clarity with only four more left to be presented. Together they basked in the presence of sisterly adoration before any of them bothered to speak.

“How long have we been here, Tia?” Luna asked softly. Time had been a forgotten factor, lost between the absorbing tales of the sun goddess’ past.

“I am quite sure we still have time to continue if you’d like?” Celestia asked her sibling, receiving a quick nod of agreement. Luna scanned the remaining portraits, all of which displayed unicorn ponies.

“No more zebra, pegasi, or earth ponies, I see,” Luna said playfully. “But there seems to be some sort of mistake here… why are there two portraits of the same pony?” she asked about the next two ponies in line.

“I can assure that you are not seeing double. Posey and Medley were identical twins.”

The only dissimilarities between the two mares that Luna could discern being the hues of their similarly styled light red dresses. Their coats were both azure blue combined with a light indigo mane. They even shared their mane style as it was long and wavy, curled slightly at the ends. Their cutie marks could have been exactly the same as well -the clothing obscured them such that Luna couldn’t tell for sure.

“Twins? Tia, your past never ceases to amaze me… up to that point you had only taken a single student as a time. Why the sudden change?” Luna questioned.

“You are correct that I have always fancied having only one personal student at any given time. It is a much more… personal affair to mentor only one pony directly. But this coming together was more like… a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding…? Like an accident?” she giggled in delight. “How?”

“They were twins, Lulu. It was quite difficult to tell them apart at times,” Celestia explained with a wry grin.

“Oh… right.” Luna smiled sheepishly, looking up to her sister and eagerly awaiting the story of what sort of mistake Celestia could possibly have made. The elder smiled at the thoughts of the past that serenely flowed back into clear memory. She mused over the story before retelling the rather fateful encounter with the Shine sisters.

~*~*~*~

The Grand Galloping Gala: the prestigious and exclusive annual event considered by many to be a chance to experience the best night of their lives. This was the first year where Equestria was, at long last, considered a stable country again since the Hay Fever Epidemic had been entirely expunged. Spirits were high and joy was plentiful in the Castle. Celestia watched as ponies with happy smiles waited in line, eager to meet her and to join the festivities that had already commenced in the ballroom through the doorway at which she stood.

“Good evening, and welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala,” Celestia would recite with a short nod and quiet smile to the forthcoming ponies. They would beam their own smile and bow before hurriedly trotting off into the celebration. It brought pleasure to the alicorn to see her ponies once again so happy and enjoying themselves to the fullest.

She would need to stand at the top of the grand staircase for a large portion of the Gala, but this year she wouldn’t mind in the slightest. Even though this was the longest line of ponies in attendance to date, Celestia would welcome each and every one of them; pony after pony, minute after minute, and hour after hour. The tradition had been set at the inception of the Gala hundreds of years ago.

“Hello and welcome to the Gala,” she repeated happily for the near hundredth time.

“It is such a great pleasure to be here, Princess!” replied the azure pony in a cheery tone, giving several quick bows.

“I am glad to hear it,” Celestia said with a hoof gesture towards the ballroom where the festivities resumed. But the pony didn’t take the hint, just standing there and looking up with her bright smile.

“Princess, if you don’t mind, do you happen to have a minute? Really quick,” asked the blue pony. This wasn’t exactly open court, but nopony had ever bothered or, more likely, dared to ask anything during the ceremonial greetings before.

What harm could a quick request do? Celestia thought. “This is not exactly the ideal moment... you may proceed, but this should really be quick,” she said a bit apprehensively.

“Of course, Princess! Okay… umm… yes, my name is, umm… Posey Shine!” she spoke in uneven tones, as if nervousness had suddenly flooded her entire being. “I am really, really, really happy to be here…”

“You said that already, dear,” Celestia reassured coolly, trying to push the conversation forward. “What is it you wanted to say?”

“Oh, yes… I did. Sorry. I just wanted to ask you, Princess Celestia, that… no… If you… wait… ugh! Why. Cant. I. Remember!” she said, pounding her head with a hoof in great agitation. Celestia glanced back to the ponies still waiting patiently with forced politeness. She could see many wearing obvious grimaces and letting out exhausted scoffs, having already waited for a considerable time and just wanting to enter the main event.

What have I gotten myself into? Celestia thought as she looked down at the discombobulated pony before her. “Why don’t we do this?” she said, grabbing Posey’s attention. “You may stand by my side until all other guests have been greeted. Once everypony is inside, you can say what you have to say.”

“Oh, yes, that’ll be… nice,” she replied almost timidly, walking with her head low over to Celestia’s left-hoof side. Celestia watched Posey as she took her place and then turned her attention back to the rest of the ponies waiting anxiously in line to get things moving again. The routine of formal greetings had once again come to order and begun anew.


Slowly but surely had the line of ponies dwindled. The night was moving along quite swimmingly and, as expected, was shaping up to be one of the best Grand Galloping Galas to date. As ponies went by, Celestia would often steal a glance at the pony waiting silently at her side. She would also note how the formerly nervous pony was receiving just as much attention and as many greetings as she was.

In response she would happily welcome them to the event, perfectly comfortable and settled at the monarch’s side. She acted and even looked as if she were a minor royal, an impression heightened by her unique, gleaming red dress with tassels that flickered like fire whenever she shifted position slightly. But what was perhaps most worrying to Celestia was the fact that she stood in the exact position where each and every one of her past students had stood during ceremonial greetings.

I can’t exactly get out of this one easily. I hope not too many ponies take it out of context, she pondered with a worried expression that was quickly suppressed at the arrival of the next pony in line.

At last, the final pony was admitted inside with a grateful salute to both ponies now left standing alone on the staircase. The sounds of music and chatter resonated from the room a few hoofsteps away.

“Now that that has all been taken care of, what is it you wanted to discuss?” Celestia said serenely as she turned to the pony already beaming up at her.

“Yes, yes of course. I just want to say how much of an honor it was to stand at your side for this, and how exhilarating it felt!” she spoke with returning confidence. Celestia just nodded in response, hopefully hinting at the pony to continue. “Okay, so here goes… I am here… to ask you… if…” she spoke uncertainly, dragging the moment as long as she could. “You would ever so kindly take me as your student!” she concluded rapidly, eyes shut from fear of what sort of reaction she would receive.

This request did not surprise Celestia in the slightest, as it was a very common one. So common in fact, that all she could do in response was chuckle indulgently. Many young and eligible unicorns from all over Equestria would come to Celestia in hopes of acquiring the prestigious position as the Princess’ personal protégé. They would come with offers, promises, and gifts aplenty, but would almost always be rejected and sent home.

“That is a very noble and brave request, dear,” she explained in a friendly tone. “But you must understand that I cannot make simply anypony my student.”

“Oh, please, Princess, just give me a chance! I know I can impress you with my magical skills! I’m sure of it…” Unbeknownst to Posey, Celestia was minded to give her exactly that chance. She never immediately turned away a student without giving them a proper opportunity to show how much they indeed wanted this. And it wasn’t like Celestia was averse to mentoring another student.

“Then how about this?” Celestia said calmingly, trying to reassure the trembling pony before her. “I will invite you to the castle a week from today. Then, you can show me what sort of magic skills you possess.”

“Oh, thank you so much! You’re not going to regret this!”

“I look forward to it, Ms. Shine,” she said with a smile. “Now, we should join the festivities while the night is still young.”

“I would like that very much,” Posey said confidently, turning to join the Princess into the ballroom.


Bustling with life, the ballroom was near its maximum capacity. Celestia wandered about the room, basking in the jaunty music and uplifting atmosphere. Ponies were dancing, chatting, drinking, eating their fill of an assortment of foods, and partying the night away.

Celestia moved through the colorful crowds with ease born of long practice, noting familiar faces both old and new, and indulging in the occasional conversation or simple greeting. She even took a turn on the dance floor, luckily to one of the more soothing and melodic tunes, demanding nothing more than a rhythmical sway and occasional kick. This routine continued well into the night, her effortless hostessing ensuring that the party suffered not a single hiccup.

But that is not to say Celestia’s previous worries had not come to fruition. Through the entire evening, ponies approached here to give fulsome congratulations to mark her taking a new pupil under her wing. Empty platitudes bombarded Celestia as the night wore on, with most of the sycophants remaining oblivious to her attempts to explain the unfortunate misunderstanding. She decided to ignore the silliness in order to enjoy her time; all she could do was wish for any rumors to lay dormant within the castle walls.

What a fine evening this is turning out to be. Her attention was drawn towards the band revving up another jolly tune. Oh, it’s Posey! I didn’t know she was in the band, Celestia thought as she noticed the azure pony that had spoken to her earlier, playing the violin on stage. She gently pushed herself through the throng of ponies towards the musicians, at last reaching the foot of the stage. “Hello, Ms. Shine!” she called over the music to grab her target’s attention.

“Umm… hi… Princess,” she said uncertainly, opening her eyes and breaking her concentration to look down at the smiling alicorn. She wore a slightly bewildered look, but continued to play in rhythm with her bandmates.

“I apologize for the interruption; I just wanted to come by and see how things have been going. Your musical skills are quite excellent. If your magical prowess is similar, then I look forward to our meeting.” The musical pony’s eyes sparked immediately at the mention of the latter, her confusion fading into a confident smile.

“Oh… yeah… you bet! Sorry to ask, but when is this meeting again? And where? I can be so forgetful at times,” she asked with a chuckle, still playing harmoniously without missing a beat.

“Of course, we agreed on a week from today in the castle. At whatever time you’d like, really.” Celestia answered happily.

“Oh, yes, of course. Thank you, Princess. For reminding me…”

“Great. I won’t keep you any longer now, Ms. Shine. Please, enjoy the rest of the evening.”

“Oh, I will, Princess. And you as well.”

“Thank you,” Celestia concluded, turning away and walking happily back into the fray.

The musical pony watched Celestia until she was completely out of sight. The entire time she couldn’t keep the mischievous smirk from her face.

The week had passed quickly and uneventfully for Celestia. This was often the case with the weeks that followed the grandness of the Gala, as the extravagant event traditionally remained the main topic of discussion for Canterlot’s upper classes long after the night itself was over - not to mention the need for many a pony to overcome the after-effects of a night of indulgence.

But on this day, Celestia had a specific event to look forward too. A potential student was to arrive and show off her skills and express how much she wanted to acquire the position of student under the Sun Goddess. Yet she could not hold her hopes too high, as these meetings would so often end in disappointment. It sounded almost selfish when Celestia put it that way, but it was exactly what had happened each and every time in the past with almost every hopeful that would approach her.

Anypony that mustered up the courage to face the princess would enter without foreknowledge as to how exactly the princess would appraise and assess them. And truthfully, not even Celestia herself knew what exactly she searched for in her next student. It was never really as simple as measuring the magical prowess or skill a certain pony possessed. This in itself explained and was evidenced by the countless rejections received by some of the most skilled magicians of all Equestria.

Celestia had no sooner finished her morning meal than the announcement came of her planned visitor. Quite eager to get things started aren’t we? With little haste, she walked coolly towards the throne room where she would commonly hold open court and welcome invited guests.

“A Ms. Shine has arrived for her appointed meeting with you, Princess,” informed one of the throne’s flanking guards stoically.

“Yes, show her in,” Celestia said, settling on her throne atop the royal pedestal. The guard at the end of the lengthy room opened the grand door and pass on the order to another. Mere minutes lapsed until the visitor was ushered into the room.

“Hellooo, Princess!” announced the azure pony as the double doors were flung open by a telekinetic swing. She trotted in confidently, head held high and glamorous, a cheeky smile on her face.

Unlike their meeting at the Gala, she wore nothing at all on this occasion; a rarity for anypony to be so casual in Canterlot, and even more so in the presence of the princess. Another dissimilarity was the arrangement of the pony’s mane, now allowed to freely hang instead of being carefully crafted into the hairdo she had worn at the Gala. Her cutie mark was also at last revealed to be a single musical quaver within a six pointed star. In all, Celestia had to admit that her demeanour had changed markedly.

“Hello and good morning to you, Ms. Shine,” Celestia greeted with a smile.

“And a very good morning to you as well! As always, another beautiful morning from the most beautiful ruler of the greatest land! Oh how I thank you for such generosity and kindness, to forever bless us with the warming rays of the sun every single day.”

My, somepony has certainly become much more confident. We’ve just begun and already so full of praise. Just like every other participant, she thought with a mental laugh. “How flattering. I thank you for it. Now, please proceed with your presentation whenever you are ready.”

“Yes, of course! Okay… let’s get this show on the road!” she said, preparing her body by planting her hooves firmly on the ground, setting her head low. Celestia watched as the pony stood motionless before her. The room was quiet in anticipation; the guards carefully watched the readied pony. But nothing happened. “Uhhh… wow, do I feel embarrassed. What exactly is it you want me to do? You probably told me before, but I’m just blank right now haha.”

The room exhaled in disappointed unison. I had not given explicit instructions. How forgetful can a pony be? “Do whatever you feel is necessary, Posey.”

“What?” was the only quizzical reply. Before Celestia could clarify, another castle guard walked into the room, giving a proper bow to the princess.

“Princess, a Ms. Posey Shine is here to see you for her audience. Shall I bring her in?”

“What?” came the simultaneous answer from Celestia and the already present visitor. Celestia looked over to the azure pony below, confirming her thoughts that this was indeed the same pony from that night.

“This must be some sort of… mistake? I am quite sure Posey Shine is already in our presence,” Celestia said to the messenger who looked around to see the blue pony already present.

“Oh! I see you are correct. Wow, that was pretty amazing how you just teleported in here like that. That’s sure to look good for the princess,” he said, giving another bow to Celestia before turning to exit.

“That was odd… who can this other pony be? It is quite obvious that Posey is already here.” At this, the pony froze with eyes wide in shock. “Is something wrong? You are Posey Shine, correct?”

“That’s...-“

“Wow! How did you teleport back here so fast! And with clothes! Spectacular!” cried the messenger pony though the closed doors into the hallway.

“My sister,” she concluded as her double came into view at the doorway. Posey wore a much simpler, but formal dress on this occasion, with her mane styled accordingly into a neat bun.

“Umm… sorry I let myself in. That pony said I was already… allowed… to enter…” she trailed off at the sight of her identical sister. The room fell into awkward silence as Posey approached, perhaps slower than intended due to her inability to fully conceive the situation. Celestia was confused and intrigued, but watched silently to let the situation unfold under its own merits.

“Medley? Wha- what are you doing here?” Posey said accusingly to her mirror image as the other stood facing away, her poise haughty.

“Excuse me? What am I doing here? What are you doing here,” Medley retorted, turning to face Posey and poke her sister in the chest, which Posey angrily deflected.

“For your information, I am here to see the princess.”

“Is that so? Well, for your information, the Princess herself told me to come! So, I suggest you go away now.”

“Liar! You’ve always done things like this. To study under the princess is no place for you,” Posey said, stomping a hoof hard on the floor.

“Oh? What gives you the right to say that, sister? You’ve always been a mere shadow to my magical skill. I can do more than you, I have always done things better than you, and I am always first. It’s just the way things work.”

“That’s not true! You’re not going to do this to me again this time!” Posey stood shivering in anger, eyes shut to withhold tears. “I’ll show you ‘magical skill’,” she hissed, her horn beginning to emanate a steadily amplified blue glow.

“Oh, you wanna do this now?” Medley spoke boldly, taking a few steps back in preparation, light sprang forth from her own horn and quickly matching her sister's in ferocity.

I might have let this go on for too long, Celestia thought worriedly as she watched the ponies about to skirmish before her. I should stop this before somepony gets hurt.

“Princess, should we intervene?” asked an apprehensive guard. Before Celestia could issue the order, however, the sparks began to fly.

Posey shot off a twisting beam of light that was swiftly dissipated by her twin with a well timed magic-absorbing shield. “Is that it?” Medley mocked, executing her own assault of multiple thin strings of magic that spiraled through the air towards her opponent. But Posey did not waver, holding strong and still in concentration. The attack was halted inches from her body through sheer telekinetic force. Posey countered with magical string of her own, which wrapped around Medley’s magic like a helix and rapidly traced back along its path towards Medley.

Medley released her magic before the hit could land, causing the streams to shatter and dispel. “Ooh, neat trick you got there,” she said sarcastically. “Let’s see how you deal with this one!” Magical pressure fell upon the room as intense energy swirled around Medley’s hooves. Posey remained silent, her own rising energy beginning to collide with her sister’s. Suddenly, however, the energy diminished and vanished, leaving the combatants in bemused silence.

“What did you do?” accused Medley irritably, trying to once again muster up her magical energy.

I cast a Suspend spell,” Celestia broke in calmly, “canceling and suppressing all of your magic. You both left yourselves vulnerable to your surroundings. If you had properly taken into account the possibility of a second threat –say, perhaps, me- a simple pre-set guard spell could have protected you both from something as simple as a Suspend spell.”

“O-oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Princess!” Posey stammered, turning to Celestia and giving a bow so low her nose nearly touched the ground. “I- I just, ooh, I’m sorry.”

“I very much apologize for my sister’s blatant interruption as well, Princess,” Medley spoke in accompaniment to her own, less exaggerated, bow.

“Shut up!” Posey spat with a growl.

“I’d expect a bit more politeness from you in the presence of the princess,” her sister remarked.

“That is enough from both of you!” Celestia commanded. The two ponies flinched at the raised voice of the princess; their previous haughtiness now replaced by deep regret. “You would show disrespect not only to me, but to each other as well? This sort of behavior is intolerable between kin. Sisters should protect and care for each other instead of holding hostility and detestation; to do what is best for each other when so closely intertwined in life.”

The corners of Celestia’s lips curled downwards into a small and faintly visible frown. As she spoke, she couldn’t help but think of her own sister, Luna, the younger of the two goddesses now forever banished within the celestial body she once guided through the night sky. She winced mentally as she recalled the peaceful and unforgettable times they shared together hundreds of years ago, the happiness brought upon the simple presence of one another, and how it so suddenly disappeared forever.

The fortune of a sibling shouldn’t be taken for granted. Nopony knew better than Celestia herself; the burden of knowing that never again would her sister be returned to her, never again would she experience those feelings.

“I simply cannot allow this to continue… I ask you both to take your leave and make up,” Celestia instructed to the distraught siblings. “Then, both of you shall promptly return to the castle, where I will personally see to both of you in happier circumstances.”

“What!?” the sisters spoke simultaneously. “Does that make me your student!?” they said, once again shooting each other a glare.

“No, that is not what it means. But if it makes you both less hostile, I can say you both have an opportunity. That is why I am summoning you both back for further evaluation on your magical abilities. And know this, either both of you are admitted, or neither of you. Now, I look forward to our meeting tomorrow.”

~*~*~*~

“It’s hard to believe how two sisters could be so argumentative towards each other… well, no it isn’t really. But… why?” Luna questioned.

“After they became my students, I learned much about their individual pasts. You see, ever since foalhood, they would always push the term ‘sibling rivalry’ to the farthest extent possible. Their parents were quite the perfectionists to say the least, and this, unfortunately, reflected onto Posey and Medley in a manner that would cause them to try to best each other to be perfect in the eyes of their parents.

“This would also lead to both of them gaining extraordinary skills in a variety of fields, from arts to, of course, magic. This need to be better than one another -to excel- had driven them apart, but made them stronger as well. They reached almost identical levels of skill. I made them both my students not only because of their magic, but also because their relationship needed rekindling to form a strong bond . Something akin to what we share today, Lulu.”

“Did they ever come to terms with each other? Stopped all their sibling rivalry?”

“Mostly. They did begin to grow close, as siblings should. But the sibling rivalry was always present -just in a more controlled degree, you could say. But that is part of what being kin is about. It helps build the relationship, strengthen it, and make the feelings more mutual. The same could be said about both of us. We are close, yet a little friendly rivalry will always be present.” Celestia explained playfully.

“I guess that makes sense. So, how did teaching two students simultaneously work out for you?”

“Aside from always having to find a way to tell them apart, it was quite pleasant,” she answered with a laugh. “When time for practicing spells would come, they would often work together to perfect them. Using spells on each other was a very efficient way for each of them to fully understand the spell from all angles.”

“I am not sure this is so, but are you implying that they would use the spells on each other? As in... fight?”

“Indeed their form of ‘working together’ was a little closer to fighting.”

~*~*~*~

What a lovely day for some outdoor training, Celestia thought as she strolled around the castle to an open field near the garden, where her students were to be waiting. Celestia always valued first-hoof experiments and learning just as much as having one's head stuck in a book. The best way to master a spell, she felt, was to take it out into the field and conduct research.

Reaching the field she immediately spotted Medley lazily laying on her back and sunbathing in the soft pasture. “Good afternoon, Medley,” Celestia said politely, only to receive a snore from the sleeping pony. With a flick from her magic, Medley was lifted up into the air and released. She awoke with a short yell, only to cast a spell that allowed her to levitate and land gently at her mentor’s side.

“I’ve told you before about sleeping during training. I gave you fair warning,” Celestia said with a smile.

“You know… that could have been dangerous,” she said groggily, still recovering from her nap.

“And you know I’d never do something that could endanger the well being of my student if I could help it. I was quite certain that you would easily recover, and you did. Now, where is Posey?”

“Ugh… I dunno. I think she said something about going to her foal’s school for a meeting or something? Oh, feathers, I forgot to tell you. Yeah, she’s going to be a little late. But she’ll be here soon.”

“I see. How is her little foal doing? Well, I hope,” Celestia asked caringly, settling down on her haunches to bask in the soothing breeze and warm midday sunlight.

“That little troublemaker is doing just fine. He’s already controlling some magic, if you could believe! Seems my sister finally got something right,” she finished with a chuckle.

“Do I sense a hint of jealousy?” Celestia mocked playfully

“What? Never. She might have been first in getting married and having a foal, but those aren’t exactly things I strive for. I mean good on her and all, but the trouble of a baby is just too much.” She gave an unceremonious sigh. “I am happy for her. Very happy actually. To see Posey come all this way is actually pretty inspiring... I’m still not jealous.”

“That’s very nice to hear.”

“It’s nice that I don’t want to get knocked up?”

“No, it’s nice to hear how much you care for your sister. In comparison to when we first met, it seems you two have really become close,” Celestia said with a giggle.

“Oh, right… I guess you can say that.” As soon as she concluded, a distant call broke through the gentle background noise.

“I’m here!” announced Posey, trotting towards the princess and her sister. “I’m so sorry, Princess. I got here as fast as possible.” This was a rare occasion where she wore nothing, showing off her cutie mark as a band-aid covered with sparkling little stars.

“That’s all right,” Celestia reassured. “And I really like your mane,” she said with a laugh.

“Are you kidding me?” broke in Medley, inspecting her sister’s hair. “Why do you always have to do this? Copying my mane style,” she said with a scoff. “You know, this is exactly why we get into so much trouble.”

“I think it’s cute,” Posey said with a laugh. “And if it wasn’t for me always trying to look like the twins we are, we wouldn’t have become the Princess’s students!” Once again, Medley simply scoffed at her sister.

“How about we get started?” interrupted Celestia. “I thought it would be nice to simply have a free day to practice whatever you two would like.”

“Alright, let’s battle!” proposed Medley excitedly.

“That doesn’t sound half bad,” concurred Posey.

“Are you two sure about this?”

“Yes,” they spoke simultaneously with confident nods.

“Don’t worry, Princess. We won’t get carried away. Nopony will get hurt,” Posey reassured their mentor.

“You can stand by and assess us!”

“…Very well,” Celestia said a bit apprehensively, walking off and leaving the two sisters by themselves. She sat a good distance away and watched silently.

The two sisters stared each other down confidently, smug smiles matched on both of their faces. “Ready, sister?” asked Posey, beginning to back away, increasing the space in-between them.

“As always,” Medley replied simply, following in Posey’s hoofsteps and moving back. Once ample space was reached, they waited in silence. The only sound that reached Celestia’s ears was from the soft winds blowing through the blades of grass.

“Start!” they shouted simultaneously. Instantly, Medley charged and shot out a beam of surging magic. Holding firm, Posey concentrated on the oncoming attack. It slowed and twisted, turning under its new master’s accord and corkscrewing back towards its creator. Another burst of forceful magic decimated the beam before Medley. Once the blinding light disappeared, she searched frantically for her opponent, who was no longer before her.

“Over here,” Posey warned, directly behind her sister. Before Medley could turn, Posey shot her magic into the ground; light seeped through the dirt and surrounded Medley, trapping her in place. “It’s over!” Posey declared.

“Not just yet,” called Medley across the battlefield. Posey scowled and glanced between the two forms of her sister.

“Pretty quick,” Posey complemented quite honestly, releasing her magic from the dummy as it diminished into fluttering sparkles that were carried off in the wind.

“Or maybe you’re just too slow!” Thin streams of magic reminiscent of their first encounter in the castle shot towards Posey, moving swiftly and elegantly through the air.

“Didn’t learn from the first time?” Posey said, once again stopping the streams of magic in their tracks. Medley just laughed triumphantly as she watched her sister concentrate on the attack above her, oblivious to imminent attack coming from below. Similar magic streams slipped through the ground directly below Posey, sending her straight up into the air. But she stood firm, as if still standing on solid ground.

“You didn’t think I’d leave my hooves open, did you?” she said from the sky, standing atop a circular shield. The failed attack broke apart as Posey gently landed back onto the ground.

“Gotta admit, that was pretty good,” Medley at last complimented. “But how about we finish this?” she challenged.

“It’ll be my pleasure,” her sister gladly accepted. They took wide and confident stances as their horns’ shine intensified in unison. Erratic energy swirled around them, clashing at the center in a vicious tug-of-war. Seconds crawled by as the pressure increased and the ponies pushed their magical force to the limits. Enormous spheres of energy shown with blinding light. At last the pent up energy was set free, bursting and scattering energy in every direction. The two ponies were thrown through the air, luckily caught by the gentle hold of their mentor’s magic.

Surrounded by a golden magical aura, the two ponies were brought back together before Celestia and set gently on the ground. “Nice catch,” Medley huffed through her exhaustion. Both ponies seemed considerably fatigued due to their final exertion of magic.

“Almost… got you… there,” Posey said slowly, allowing her beating heart to subdue.

“For once… I gotta agree with you,” replied her sister.

“You both performed exceptionally well,” Celestia interjected. “It was quite the show. Posey, excellent use of defensive and manipulation spells. Medley, the control and precision of your attacks was quite inspiring as well.”

“Thank you, Princess,” the two sisters spoke in unison, smiles on both of their faces.

~*~*~*~

“Sounds like it was quite exciting,” Luna said.

“Indeed, it was. Those two used that sort of ‘training’, as they would call it, to vent or channel the leftover sibling rivalry that they retained. Their little battles were very back and forth and more than often ended in an indecisive draw. Those were indeed fun and exciting times,” she concluded in a more hushed tone.

Luna could already sense that something had gone amiss, but she was reluctant to ask what had transpired. Letting her sister continue at her own pace, she stayed silent. “But as nature takes its course, and how everything must follow, things do not forever stay fun and exciting,” continued the elder.

“For several years everything went on as normal as having twin sisters as students was: studying, training, and fun, among other things. Sadly, as I said, all of that ended, and far too abruptly as well.

“Posey had fallen ill with an incurable and terminal illness that cut her precious life far too short. It was… difficult, to say the least. It would only bring a heavier burden when my concern fell on Medley as well. Posey had not only left me, but she left behind a family... Medley had not only lost a sister, but her closest friend.”

~*~*~*~

The wind blew gently as it so often did in Canterlot; sunlight shone brightly above the great capital city. Celestia walked solemnly into the gardens, towards the open field she was so accustomed to seeing under cheerier circumstances. She searched for Medley, but it was never difficult to find her. That meadow of green, soft grass was perhaps the place where Medley held some of her most cherished memories of her sister.

It wasn’t long before Celestia spotted the pony sitting in the distance, alone and motionless. She would often sit and look longingly into the distance for hours, refusing nourishment or comfort. Everypony had their own way of dealing with tragedy, all Celestia could do was respect Medley’s. The silent presence of another can seldom hurt, Celestia thought as she approached.

She did not announce her arrival, nor did Medley acknowledge it; unmoving and stoic, she remained silent. Celestia sat close to her student’s side, only inches between them. Together they watched nothing in particular, only the minutes as they crawled by. They did not speak; neither did they intend to do so, as each other’s presence would suffice.

After an undetermined amount of time the soothing noise of flowing winds was at last broken. “Princess… why did this have to happen…?” Medley said in a low and monotone voice, still gazing into the distance.

Celestia let out a hushed sigh; to once again not only console her own aching heart, but to do the same for another. It is never easy to continue on through the passing of a loved one, and nopony knew this better than Celestia herself. Every loss would hurt no less, but with each occasion the recovery had become a more composed process. So different, it was difficult to perceive the struggles of loss in a normal pony.

“It is the way of life; nature. Sadly, it is something inevitable and-“

“I know why it happened!” Medley snapped, her body shivering slightly. She let out an exasperated sigh. “I- I’m sorry… I just… don’t know. Why was this supposed to happen? Why did it have to be Posey…?” she muttered. She stared to the ground and began to sniffle. Celestia wrapped one of her majestic wings around her student and drew her in close. Medley leaned in to accept the inviting warmth and comfort, her tears now dampening her mentor’s coat.

“I miss her so much, Princess…” she sobbed, her voice muffled by feathers and tears.

“I miss her as well,” Celestia cooed in her serene voice. “I know how difficult it can be to lose somepony dear to your heart… I have lost many over the years. But worst of all, I know the pain of losing a sister.”

“You- you mean Princess Luna,” Medley said, looking up with tears in her eyes.

“Yes, long ago, I lost my sister, Luna. It was a painful experience, one you and I now share. But over the years I have had to accept it, to accept loss. It is difficult, and I am not asking you to come to terms with this quickly. I just want you to know that you are not alone. You cannot keep this pain to yourself. It took me many years to understand that.

“For too long I was left alone to wallow in my sorrow. I asked myself questions I already knew the answers to, and blamed myself for what happened. If it wasn’t for certain ponies, I don’t know how long the recovery process would have lasted. You must understand that everypony around you is here for you. I am here for you.

“Posey might no longer be here, but she will always be with you in spirit and in your heart. I came to understand that through another pony that I still hold dear to me in my heart. Posey would not want you to feel this way forever. She loved you, and would want you to continue living a happy life. I love you, and cannot bear to see you like this.” Medley’s tears had subdued, leaving only the occasional sniffle. She listened silently only giving a few short nods.

“I cannot make this pass over easily. But I ask you to not hold the burden onto yourself alone. Others are here for you. And Posey will forever be with you as well,” Celestia concluded with a gentle nuzzle.

Medley gave another sniffle, wiping away her tears with a forehoof. “That… that was really helpful, Princess… Thank you. I don’t know why I’ve been acting this way… Posey wouldn’t have liked this… ‘float on’ she’d say,” she said with a stifled chuckle.

“And I understand what you’re saying,” Medley continued in a more composed tone, “I have a feeling Posey would have said something like that too... I think I’d like to go inside now… and eat. Food always makes me feel better.”

“That is nice to hear,” Celestia spoke warmly, at last releasing her winged embrace.

“No, it isn’t that nice… Imma get fat now,” she said jokingly. It brought a smile to Celestia’s face to once again see Medley act in her normal mannerisms.

“Let’s go to the castle. It’s almost dinner time.”

“Yeah… let’s go.”

~*~*~*~

“Understandably, it took time for Medley to return to her old self, but eventually she did. She carried on becoming an even better mare in the end as well. She helped in supporting Posey’s family, and raising her child. She continued her studies in the castle until she departed to become one of the most renowned musicians in history. She, nor I, ever forgot about Posey, but neither did we allow her departure to restrain us.

“Everything Medley had continued to accomplish was for the sake and memory of her sister. They were never really apart, those two. The strength of their relationship would always hold strong. Just like ours will forever hold as well, no matter what has occurred or may occur.”




A/N I had fun writing this one. Again, many thanks to my pre-readers/editors Dreec, Starfall, and Quillsaga for all their help in making this readable.I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. It was the first time I have ever played with any sort of action with those little magic fighting scenes. So any feedback on those, or anything really, will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Comments ( 4 )

I'm really enjoying this, glad to see another chapter and hope to see more soon :twilightsmile:

I enjoyed this one, but you probably already know that. :P

Huh, I guess this is the end since it was posted so long ago. Thank you for these stories, they were a very interesting and enjoyable read.

Are you ever going to continue this? Still need to get to Sunset Shimmer's time as her student.

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