> Growing Wings
>  by Twilicorn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Pain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight Sparkle grinned to herself, pausing in her studies for a mere moment. The smell of a fresh, brand new book wafted up, and she deeply inhaled, burying her nose in the book. Spike watched her, giving her a caring smile only a brother could share. And they were as close, if not closer, than brother and sister. Twilight removed her nose from the book, and read through the spell a final time. It was a quite simple spell, at least for her. Any normal pony would spend days mastering it, but she was quite certain she had mastered the spell. She scrunched her eyes shut, focusing anxiously, and turned to the wilting flower in the window sill. The sun shined through the window, making her eyelids look red as she looked through them, but she tuned it out and began the spell. Her horn sputtered and sparked, before finally igniting into a pale magenta glow. She leaned her head forward slightly, grunting with effort, and her horn began sparking rhythmically. Suddenly, a burst of pale magenta light streamed from her horn and hit the flower, encompassing it. The glow slowly morphed into a golden-green, and the flower slowly stood back up, it's leaves becoming a healthy green and the brown, curled petals turned a vibrant orange. The light stopped, returning to her horn, and she collapsed onto her wooden floor, drained from energy. Spike let out a gasp, jumping down from the ladder he was climbing. He ran over to her, as fast as his small, scaled legs could carry him, and placed a clawed finger on her throat, searching for a pulse. He found it, slightly weak, and began worrying. He ran to her bed, grabbing her Starswirl the Bearded throw and ran back to her, setting it carefully on her. He then ran to her quills and scrolls, grabbing a smaller scroll and beginning to write.

"Dear Princess Celestia," he spoke aloud as he worked, writing as fast as he could while making it legible. "Twilight Sparkle collapsed while doing a-" he stopped, setting the quill down. What spell was she doing? He ran over to the spell book, which thankfully remained on the same page, and scanned it. There were two spells, a Rejuvenation spell and a Growth spell. It could be either, based on the descriptions. Groaning to himself, and still worried, he darted back to the quill, lifting it in his purple hands. He scratched out the 'a' and continued. "While doing either the Rejuvenation spell or a Growth spell. It was successful, she cast it on a flower, but now she has a weak pulse and seems to be asleep or something. What should I do?" He rolled the scroll up hurriedly, leaving it in an messy cylinder, then tied it with a red ribbon. Blowing green fire from his mouth, the scroll disappeared, and he grinned satisfactorily. Turning back to Twilight, he began searching for any bruises on her. She seemed to be free of any significant cuts or bruises, save a large bump swelling on the side of her head where she had fallen. He ran to the kitchen, grabbing a bag and filling it with ice. He wrapped it in a relatively thin towel, then brought it back out to the main room. Or at least, he would've if he hadn't started choking. He twitched, then burped, grabbing his stomach as the letter spewed from his mouth. Grabbing it hurriedly, he unfurled it, his eyes scanning over it as fast as he could read.

Dear Spike,

Either spell can be quite harmful to a young unicorn-where did she get the book? However, if she can do this spell successfully, it is time. I will be there promptly, please notify your friends to meet me at your home immediately if not sooner. Remind them this is of utter importance, and by the Princess' decree. Best of luck, and do be safe. Twilight is in no danger, but you must keep an eye on her. Ask her beloved pet, Owlysious is it, to keep an eye on her while you are gone.

Princess Luna

Princess Luna? He double-checked to be sure, then nodded. Running out of his home, his feet pounded the dirt road as he ran to Fluttershy's cottage. Other ponies turned and stared as he ran, going at a speed that was similar to Rainbow Dash's average flying speed. He finally arrived, taking far longer than he would've liked, and banged on the door, the sound echoing through her home. He was in the middle of his eleventh knock when the door was opened, and Fluttershy stepped out cautiously, glancing back and forth. She finally looked down, and saw him panting, her eyes filling with worry.

"What's wrong Spike? Are you okay? Is Twilight okay? Are we okay?" She continued listing things until he raised a claw, still gasping from the run over.

"Princess... Luna... Library... Need others..." He gasped, only able to utter small phrases, but she understood, and carefully lifting him on her back, she began flying at an incredible speed toward Sweet Apple Acres. Though she was close to the ground, she was much faster than Spike could've been at the time, and she was there in what seemed like moments. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were arguing near the gate, and Spike hopped off, speed walking towards them. The two mares stopped when they saw him, their eyes questioning why he and Fluttershy were there.

"Princess Luna needs you guys at the Library now! Rainbow Dash, can you get Rarity and Pinkie? We'll meet you back at the Library!"

"Of course! I'll be there as fast as I can!" Even Rainbow Dash knew better than to question a princess, and she darted off, blowing dust into Applejack's mane.

"Le's go sugarcube!" Exclaimed Applejack, flipping Spike up onto her back and breaking into an urgent gallop towards the Library. Fluttershy followed, matching Applejack step for step, and they burst into the Library within moments. When Fluttershy spotted Twilight Sparkle, she began heading towards her, but Spike grabbed her tail to stop her.

"Let her be. The Princess should be here any moment." Fluttershy nodded slowly, whimpering quietly at having to leave her friend laying on the ground. They slowly walked towards her, when they heard trumpet fanfare. Turning simultaneously in a near comical fashion, they bowed to the ground, their noses scraping the wood, as Princess Luna walked in.

"Rise, Twilight's friends," she said, her voice much quieter than it used to be. Just at that moment, Rainbow Dash burst in, followed by Rarity and Pinkie Pie (bouncing the whole way). They bowed as well, but Princess Luna waved her hoof to raise the three, and they shot up to attention. "You can relax, everypony." Pinkie immediately did so, her spine relaxing.

"If you don't mind me askin', what's going on, Princess?" Applejack's voice made Rarity cringe, but Princess Luna didn't seem to mind.

"Please, to start, call me Luna. Secondly, it's a very long story that I will explain to you after we get your dear friend to the hospital. For now, be content with the fact that she cast a spell far too strenuous for her mortal being." Her friends nodded, and Luna carefully lifted Twilight into the air, parading out from the Library. Once outside, two guards stepped forward to assist her, but she waved them away, gesturing to the five ponies marching around her, their faces set in a stony determination. Their hooves stepped in time through the cobblestone town square, and ponies gathered in the side streets to stare. The Cutie Mark Crusaders' jaws were wide open, staring with eyes the size of dinner plates. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but grin slightly at being part of such an impressive legion, and as she led the way through the town, ponies gasped at them. Flipping her hair, she ignored them, her eyes focused on the hospital ahead. As they paraded in, the nurses bowed, but Luna simply waved for them to rise.

"P-Princess Luna, how can we help you?" Nurse Redheart stammered at the sight of the Princess, her cheeks flushing.

"I'd like a standard room, if not one a bit larger. Get your best doctor there on the double as well." The nurse nodded, running off, and Princess Luna carefully set Twilight Sparkle down on the padded bench in the waiting room. The other doctors skirted around them, avoiding eye contact, and the Elements of Harmony stood in a circle around Luna, daring anyone to try and come near. Roughly five minutes later, Nurse Redheart came back, gesturing for them to follow her. She led them up several flights of stairs, and even the Princess walked, afraid to open her wings and cause more of a disturbance. At roughly the third floor, they stopped, and the entire floor had been transformed into one room. Luna set Twilight down on the bleach-white covers, and her friends sat in the nearby chairs. Medical equipment of all sorts stood around the bed, and Fluttershy cowered in the farthest chair, clearly afraid of hospitals among everything else.

"Ah, Princess," smiled the doctor as he walked in, avoiding the bow. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I need your strongest painkillers on standby-I can administer should it be needed. I'd also like my guards here, surrounding the room. Be sure they act indiscreet though, for we cannot handle mass chaos at the time being." The doctor nodded, and pointed to a shelf of IV bags.

"These should contain what you need, and I'll send somepony out to retrieve your guards. Best of luck." He left without saying more, and Princess Luna couldn't help but have the fleeting thought of why he wasn't concerned. Shaking it away, she turned towards Twilight's friends, each wearing different degrees of worry.

"Let me relieve your stress," she sighed, blinking a tear away. "Twilight Sparkle is going to go through intense pain here in moments. You must remember it is for the best. You cannot help her, so if you cannot handle it, wait elsewhere. This is a long story to tell, but I trust you have the time. It all started seventeen years ago. As you all know, Twilight Sparkle is fifteen. Her birthday is today, when she shall turn sixteen. At precisely 5:27, ten minutes from now, Twilight will be sixteen. You all know alicorns are immortal, correct? Then you must wonder what happened to our parents. They passed on the crown to my dear sister and us-er, me. Let me educate you on alicorn history quickly.

"Alicorns are indeed immortal. When they are born, however, they are merely unicorns or pegasi. Alicorns are only due to have a single child, always female. After such, they may have other children, but they will not be alicorns; simply ponies. Celestia and I were accidents. Twins, somehow. We were both in control, the only twins in control of the throne ever. You all know I was banished to the moon, and this is correct. But she also banished another pony, a stallion. We became friends, and later, more. Celestia was watching all the time, filled with anger at what we had become. What had bothered Celly became our greatest points, and eventually, I became pregnant.

"Twilight Sparkle was born sixteen years ago today. On the moon. But Tia's anger got the best of her, and she invited me home eagerly. I was astonished, and a little too accepting. She took Twilight on a playdate, leaving her with her father, Moon Catcher. Her current mother is one of my most loyal subjects, caring for Twilight as her own. Anyhow, she banished me back to the moon, so great was her envy. Your loyal leader does have a cruel side indeed. It was then I became Nightmare Moon once again." Luna finally finished her story, and the other ponies in the room had their jaws nearly on the ground, so great was their shock. Rarity was the first to speak.

"So... is Princess Celestia... evil?" She stumbled over the final word, shocked to hear Princess Celestia and Evil in the same sentence.

"No, my friend. She is simply pony. All ponies are overcome with feelings, but she is able to do whatever she wants to relieve them. She regrets it every moment of her life, but she has apologized, and I know as well as she that it was a mistake." The others nodded slowly, comprehending, when Luna glanced up at the clock, followed by Fluttershy looking in the same direction.

"One minute," whispered Fluttershy, Interrupted by a moan. This was followed by several more, and even Pinkie's happy face turned into a frown. Wincing, Luna cast a glance warily at Twilight as though expecting her to explode at any moment. As if on cue, Twilight stirred on the covers. Suddenly, she let out an earsplitting scream. Luna sighed, and her horn glowed as she set a spell on Twilight's bed, surrounding it with a near-transparent bubble.

"What did you do to her?" Cried Pinkie, running towards her friend, just to bounce off.

"This spell will make it much quieter for us, and keep any bacteria from the wounds."

"Wounds?" Inquired Rainbow Dash, just as they heard another muffled scream. Two splits appeared on Twilight's lavender fur, splitting the skin and letting crimson blood gush onto the covers. Fluttershy covered her eyes, turning away, and Rarity scurried over to comfort her. Luna was wincing, every cry of Twilight's causing her to close her eyes tighter. Pinkie Pie came over, patting the Princess on the shoulder awkwardly.

'Oh, it burns. It burns and it strains... why is this happening to me? Why are their tears on my face, and why is there this pain on my shoulders? Why?' Twilight's voice echoed in her mind, and she heard someone screaming. Light shone through her eyelids, and for some reason, she knew not to open them. She twitched and shook, her legs kicking out periodically as the pain in her shoulders increased.

Twilight's wings were beginning to form, small nubs slowly poking out from her shoulders, nearly closing off the wounds. However, just as the nubs closed off, they split open again, growing. Rainbow Dash couldn't believe she was seeing wings grow so fast, and Rarity fainted, Fluttershy now comforting her. Luna had curled onto the floor, whimpering. She then stood up, her hooves clacking against the tile floor as she walked towards Twilight, driven by some unseen force. She leaned over Twilight, opening her eyes so she could see her daughter. Pausing for a moment to take in the beauty of her daughter, a tear fell from her cheek, bringing her back to reality. Leaning over Twilight Sparkle, she began licking the wounds, just as Twilight began adding 'Mommy!' to her cries of pain. Licking carefully, she tended to the open surfaces of the wounds, and Twilight began settling, now moaning in half-pain and half-pleasure. As Twilight fell asleep, Luna backed away, turning to the others.

"She'll take 24 hours before her wings are completely grown. How many of you will stay here with her?" All five of them raised their hooves through some unspoken agreement, and Luna nodded. Turning to the staircase, she yelled down them in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "WE ARE REQUIRING FIVE NORMAL BEDS AND ONE ROYAL SIZED ONE NOW!" Within moments, the beds were there, and the others collapsed onto them, ignoring each other as they fell asleep. Luna refused to do so, and turned back to her daughter, watching her through caring eyes and waiting for her time to raise the moon.

The time flew by, and while the others slept, Princess Luna stood over her blood-stained daughter, licking away the wounds so Twilight could sleep. Twilight's horn was slowly glowing, now nearing roughly three-quarters the length of Luna's horn, where it would stay until Twilight gained her full power. Luna flashed back to when she had emerged from her Nightmare form, when she had been weak, and saw Twilight in her place. Smiling at the resemblance, she turned back to Twilight, smiling at how the setting sun's rays hit her. Wait. Setting sun? She ran to the large window on the far wall, pushing it open and flying up to the roof. Sitting as though in her throne, she closed her eyes, connecting with the moon. She slowly led it up, trailing it through the sky, when she felt its power being tugged from her. Good old Tia. The moon slowly shrank in size as it crawled through the sky, and she flew back down to Twilight's room, watching her in a finally relaxed pose. The wing were now approaching a schoolfilly's in size, and Luna flared her own wings out in comparison, blotting out the moonlight from the window. Shaking her head, she turned back to Twilight, imagining her the same size as Tia, lifting the sun and moon through the sky. She was beautiful and perfect in every way.

Twilight moaned again, and Luna turned her attention back to licking, her saliva glistening in the wounds before fading in. Alicorns had incredible power after all, this being one of them. She continued licking in her long, exaggerated strokes, feathers now sprouting over the thin skin covering strong muscles and hollow bones. Hollow bones. That's one of the main reason it hurts so much. Your bones are hollowing, emptying themselves into creating the new bones and muscles, the bones turning into a silvery instead of average white. Luna remembered the images of other alicorns going through this, and made a note to have them removed. Blood was not gushing everywhere, and bones were not showing. Of course, this could be because of her healing powers, but she doubted it. More likely was it that history was overly dramatic and graphic, simply for the point of getting attention. That's all anypony wanted after all. Attention from royalty, attention from their peers. Her mind flashed back to when she had been in school, a mere pegasus at the time. No one had known she'd be royalty but herself, and thus treated the others as her subjects. Attention she had gotten, and trouble as well. Even thousands of years ago, detention was boring.

Her mind turned to her past, and she began dozing off, Luna struggling with her eyelids, fighting to keep them open, before they closed heavily, her tongue draped across Twilight's right wing.
> Asleep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash was the first to awaken, looking over at Twilight and doubling with shock. The majority of her back was coated in dried blood, her wings still growing through old skin. Luna was draped over the now-red sheets, her head across Twilight's back. Twilight Sparkle's wings were barely bigger than Rainbow Dash's, and Rainbow Dash couldn't believe her eggheaded friend would be a better flier than her someday. She flapped her own cyan wings experimentally, rolling them out slowly to remove the kinks in them. Her feathers were ruffled and she set to preening them, her teeth carefully aligning them as she worked, removing any dirt that may have appeared as she slept. Shaking her mane out quickly, returning it to it's usual carefully-mussed state. Flapping her wings faster, she lifted from the ground, cruising around and creating a nice breeze. Within minutes, Fluttershy had awoken as well, the cool air gently lifting her from slumber. Fluttershy followed the same routine as Rainbow Dash, preening her wings to remove the dust from the bedsheets that had worked its way into her wings. The noise gradually awoke Applejack, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear the sleep from them. Seeing Twilight, she was shocked as well, letting out a small yelp. Shaking her mane, she was glad she had left the rubberbands in from the night before, and she was able to fix it quickly. Her hat was on her head moments later, and she smiled, her country charm returning with her hat. Pinkie awoke second to last, simply bouncing out of bed and beginning to chatter, breaking the near-silence that had filled the room. Rarity, the Princess, and Twilight still slept, until Rainbow Dash got a bright idea. Waving Pinkie over, she whispered something in her ear, and Pinkie giggled, her eyes lighting up like candles. She scurried over to the sink, filling a paper cup with water and darting back to Rarity. Giggling still, she raised it over Rarity, and in a breath, it was all over her and her bed, Rarity screaming loud enough to put Luna's Canterlot Voice to shame. The guards rushed in, but Rarity waved them away, hiding under her covers. The moment they left, she started on Pinkie.

"HOW DARE YOU!!! This mane takes forever to perfect, and I have none of my mane care supplies here! I'm going to look like a ruffian surrounded by you foals!" She continued bantering on as Pinkie hopped around, tuning Rarity out yet nodding at all the right times. They all seemed to ignore Luna and Twilight, until Luna was awoken by all their screaming and chatting.

"SIIIILENNNNCE!" Princess Luna yelled, her voice making windows shake. Everypony in the room turned to Luna in slow motion, their eyes all large with fear. "Thou doth not awaken thee Royalty with thine's pointless banter!" The other ponies nodded slowly, carefully backing away to the walls, and Princess Luna's voice softened. "I had a very long night, and if we awaken Twilight, her pain will increase tenfold. We must be quiet so she can remain relaxed. Now," she declared, changing the subject, "Who wants breakfast?" Pinkie was the first to scream out her assurance for the meal, followed by the others' quieter replies. Luna clapped her hooves, and two guards appeared.

"What can we assist you with, Miss?" Asked a sandy-brown coated stallion, his wings flapping eagerly.

"Ah yes, Celly sent some of her own guards, did she? Oh well. Silver Sword, please get us all some breakfast. The finest you can find."

"Yes ma'am," saluted the guard, flying off eagerly. Luna's guard remained, waiting for dismissal.

"Ah yes, Shadowed Night, please, find the kind doctor who was here yesterday please." The deep grey pegasus saluted also, gliding off down the wide staircase. Luna glanced up at the clock, startled by how late she had slept. "It's already ten o'clock!" She declared, running to the window. Her sister had set the moon, just like she had been doing for a thousand years, and Luna smiled. Even if her sister was jealous, she was kind, and that was as important as anything. The guard was back up in moments, balancing several plates of food in his jaws. Princess Luna giggled, carefully lifting them, and arranged them on the ground, where the others gathered, sitting in a circle. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were next to Princess Luna, and she smiled to herself. They all began eating, sitting lazily on the floor, when Twilight stirred. Within moments, they could hear her muffled screams again, and Princess Luna stopped eating. Standing abruptly, she turned towards Twilight's bed and began walking towards it, her eyes darting around anxiously. Twilight moaned again, and Luna reached out to stroke her.

'Mommy, oh mommy! Please, make it stop! Stop!' Twilight was twitching again, feeling her wings' bones literally split through her skin slowly, the pain unimaginable. Her screams dimmed to whimpered, and she felt comforting licks on her fur, soothing the pain. 'Oh mommy,' she sighed, her tears slowing.

"My little ponies," smiled Luna, quoting her sister. "Please, go and continue your normal civilian duties. I will send my guards to summon you before she is full grown, but do know. Do you all recall after I was freed from my Nightmare Moon state?" The others nodded, Applejack reaching a hoof up to push her hat out of the way. "She will look like that, but slightly larger. She will not be as strong as my sister or me, not until we bestow our Regalia upon her. The Regalia contains a large amount of our power, as well as the official rights to the crown. They will morph to fit her, to match her, and you will be invited also to see her coronation."

"So, what? We're just supposed to leave and wait for your guards?" Rainbow Dash was slightly confused, but Princess Luna nodded.

"Yes. Ponyville needs you. Do not, however, speak of this to anyone. They shall not know until the coronation is broadcast across Equestria." The ponies nodded again, it seeming to be their favorite motion, and walked numbly out. As they left, Applejack asked the one thing on all of their minds.

"Is she going to leave us?"

"Yes, my little ponies." And with that, the others left, though Princess Luna had to smile. She may leave for now, but you'll see her sooner than you think.

The time had flown, Luna laying with her rapidly growing daughter, carefully stroking her and making up for sixteen years of lost time. She murmured to her, singing Twilight the lullaby Princess Luna had composed years ago. Apologizing, crying, and smiling, sniffling and whispering, she had finally made up a portion of Twilight's life back up to her. Luna had skipped lunch, and was debating skipping dinner, when the though hit her. Dinnertime.

"Guards! I need six of you!" Her voice rang through the stairs, and soon the guards were there, standing at full attention. "I need you to go get Twilight's friends and Spike. He deserved to know what is happening, since he has been tending the library since Twilight left." The guards nodded simultaneously, and flew off, leaving Luna glad the window was so large. Tapping her hoof, Luna finally got up from Twilight's bed, pacing back and forth across the extremely large room, then finally flying around it, glad to stretch her wings. To finish the routine, she practiced a few basic spells, finishing as the guards returned with Twilight's friends in tow. They gathered silently around Twilight's bed, standing over her.

"So after twenty-four hours, is she just going to poof wake up?" Inquired Pinkie, a strangely serious tone in her voice.

"Sort of. It'll be an interesting display, but she could wake up anytime between now and next week. More so, she'll... be alicorn." Rarity's eyes became quizzical, but she was shut off as lights began emanating from Twilight.

It started with her wings. They glowed a pale magenta, tainted with sparkles, and they finally ceased growing, tucking themselves against Twilight's sides. Her mane grew in length at inches a minute, until it was barely shorter than Luna's, but lacking the carefully blowing appearance Princesses had. Her horn sparked, then a huge beam of light shot out, a bright gold and white, lighting the room. Everypony shielded their eyes, fearing blindness, and the light faded into Twilight, her body lightening in colour ever so slightly, and the lavender becoming the most lavendery-lavender you can imagine. Her entire body's structure changed, her face thinning and her legs growing the final few inches. She became significantly thinner, and her horn had grown to roughly twice the size of its original shape. The bright light finally faded, and the others looked up, freezing at the sight of Twilight's new form. Princess Luna was the only one not shocked, her mouth spreading into an incredibly large smile.

"That is my daughter." She stated proudly, and no pony could give her shame on the comment. Looking at her, she was similar to Luna now, though exactly how was inexplicable. Perhaps it was her body shape, the way her wings folded against her. Or maybe it was simply subtle facial features. No matter why, they were quite clearly related.

"Yay," whispered Fluttershy, breaking the silence, and Luna removed the "force-field" from around Twilight Sparkle's bed, and all of the ponies gathered by Twilight to give her a large hug. Twilight stirred, and they backed away cautiously, but she simply shifted to a more comfortable position, her forelegs curled around herself and her head facing down.

Spike had been oddly quiet the whole time, sitting away from the others, his eyes filled with an unrecognizable emotion. Princess Luna turned towards him, walking forward slowly as if approaching an injured animal.

"Spike? I know this is a lot to digest. And you're probably really confused. Do you want to talk?"

"Yes, yes I do." His voice was steely, and his face morphed to a mask. "My big sister is royalty, and you only think to tell me after the fact. She's probably going to move out from here, leave me with the library and that stupid owl, and I'll be stuck as 'The Princess' Ex-Assistant'! I hate it!" Pain flickered through his eyes, before returning to the mask of no emotion. Princess Luna blinked, shocked slightly at his outburst.

"We waited for many a reason, but none are truly acceptable. Twilight Sparkle was in immense pain, and we didn't want you to see her like that. Plus, if she was sick, would she want you watching over her? No. She'd want you hovering over the library instead, caring for Owlysious and straightening shelves."

"Like you know her sooo well, don't you! You couldn't even stay with your own daughter!"

"Listen Spike, you really have no excuse-"

"Oh shut it Rarity!" Spike glared at her, leaving Rarity stunned as he stormed out of the room, shoving the guards away as he left.

"Should we follow him?" Inquired one of the guards, flapping his wings readily and hovering a few hooves above ground.

"Leave him be, please." The guard nodded, slightly dejected, and slowed his flapping until he landed, falling back into attention. Princess Luna smiled to herself at how dignified they were, then turned back to Rarity. "You must understand, Rarity. He... He's very confused. As are you, I'm assuming. Have all of you ever had to watch a broadcast by the Princess?" The abrupt change of subject invoked a delayed response, but slowly the shook their heads. "Ah. Well, the Mayor has an incredibly powerful mirror of sorts. It will tap into the live 'feed' we have, and if so needed, we can broadcast to all of Equestria, notifying them of whatever should be so important. Soon, we will have one of those, as we crown Twilight. I will be handing off my own tiara to her, leaving her as ruler with Princess Celestia. Within a few months, Celestia will have taught Twilight what is needed, and she will hand off her own crown, and they will meld together." She finished her long-winded speech grandly, closing her wings as she finished and ending the Royal Canterlot Declaration Pose.

"Is what Spike said true? Is Twi really gonna leave us?" Applejack's voice was tainted with worry, and Fluttershy's eyes widened at the prospect.

"She will, as I have stated, But not for long. Soon, you shall all join her, for I believe the Canterlot Castle could use a cook, designer, party planner, and garden keeper. And who should teach Twilight to fly but her own close friend?" She pointed to each of them in turn, and as she pointed, they each changed from worried to happy, Pinkie bouncing around even faster than before. Princess Luna turned to her daughter, running through a mental checklist.

Taller-Check
Wings-Check
Horn-Check
Longer Hair-Check
Facial Features Change-Check
Cutie Mark Representing Sun/Moon/Leadership-Uncheck

Luna did a double-take at the last one, observing Twilight's cutie mark closer. It hadn't changed at all. Not in colour, shape, size(besides to fit her new body), or any other way.

"Oh my," she whispered, though before she had finished, Twilight's friends were gathered around.

"What's wrong, Princessy-Princessy-Princess Moona-Luna?" Pinkie was still bouncing around the bed, her mane flying through the air as though it had a mind of its own, and Luna briefly wondered if it tasted like cotton candy.

"Usually a Princess' Cutie Mark has something to do with the Sun or Moon, but Twilight's doesn't. Which can only mean one thing," she added, pacing back and forth now in long, regal and even strides. "She will rule with the Elements and Magic. This will most certainly be different from Tia and my way of ruling, but knowing Twilight, things will only change for the better." Rainbow Dash nodded absent-mindedly, still excited about being able to teach the Princess how to fly, and the others were in similar states of mind, excited to be able to live at the castle in the future, alongside their best friend as ruler of Equestria.

"Who says we get some sleep?" Asked Applejack, yawning slowly and stretching her hooves out.

"Mememememe!" Exclaimed Pinkie, hopping into her bed and falling asleep within moments. The rest of them murmured agreements, ignoring the Princess as the crawled into beds. Luna turned towards the window, gliding out as she did last night. Flying up to the roof, she turned to see her sister had began setting the sun, but not raising the moon. Slowly seizing the moon with her magic, Princess Luna sat down, closing her eyes peacefully and spreading her wings. She felt Celestia attempt to grab the moon, but Luna pushed her away, lifting it into the sky gradually and setting it into motion, letting it follow its natural path through the sky. The moon and sun only needed gently nudges past each skyline- they could pull themselves the rest of the way. Princess Luna smiled and flew back down, swooping in the window in a fearsome midnight blue streak. At the last second, she turned from the window, taking off into the sky.

The stars were beginning to glow as Luna flew, her wings beating only when she began to lose altitude, otherwise gliding across the gentle breeze. She giggled to herself as she mimicked stepping on each tree and home, letting out a small growl as she did. Playing Discord. A game anypony played, no matter if they were earth pony or alicorn. Beating her wings faster, Luna glided up past the clouds, her body illuminated by the faint star and moonlight creeping through the sky. She whooped, too far above the ground to be heard, and began looping around, twirling and twisting through the sky. She began doing a Lightening Jolt with a cloud flying above the others, jumping and creating a bold, wide lightening streak blazing through the air. Flying just barely over it, feeling the heat below her hooves, she appeared to be riding it, except to the trained eyes, and as it dissipated, she did also, fading from view with an illusion spell. The illusion spell wasn't necessary, but it was quite impressive to most ponies watching. She was the main flyer in the family, Celly always preferring magic over swooping through the night skies. Luna, of course, disagreed, using magic only when necessary, but they balanced each other out. Her mind floated to Celestia, probably conversing in the Night Counsel with the Elders, or maybe in the Night Court, handling Luna's court. She stifled another laugh as she remembered how petty the complaints were. Light pollution because of a lantern with too many lightening bugs, someone breaking into their home and stealing a photo frame. She only handled what happened at night, henceforth giving her more robberies and less of Celestia's driving issues with carriages. Gliding back towards the ground, she completed several more loops, spelling out "Luna" in the clouds. Smiling at the artful cursive, she turned towards the hospital, not having realized how far she had strayed. Opening the windows magically, she glided in, tucking her wings in to avoid breaking the walls, and landed on the carefully polished white floors. Her hooves clicked against the floor in an even beat as she steadied her landing, and her mane returned to a slower wave as opposed to when she was swooping through the sky. She turned to her bed, only to realize she was lacking one.

"Guard," she called tiredly, testing their hearing by nearly whispering it. A guard was there though, thanks to the advanced hearing spell on their armor.

"Yes ma'am?" He inquired crisply.

"Please bring me a bed, then change guard and go get some sleep." He nodded, a smile briefly crossing his face at the notice to change guard, and you could hear him telling the other guards eagerly. She stood patiently, flapping her wings to create a gentle breeze as he returned, two unicorn guards helping him carry it. She lifted in her own magic, setting it right next to Twilight Sparkle's bed, and smiled at the guards. "CHANGE GUARD," She declared in the Royal Canterlot Voice, and you could hear their carefully timed hoofsteps as they left, the ones nearest the outside hospital doors flying off with carefully timed flaps to alert the currently-sleeping night guards to change. They changed quickly, taking less than five minutes, and Princess Luna laid down in the bed, a smile crossing her face as she faced her daughter. The word daughter ringing through her mind as she fell asleep.
> Awake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	This morning, Princess Luna was the first to awake, stretching her hooves through the air. Her eyes flickered open, and she wondered why she wasn't in Canterlot. The last two days' events flooded her mind, and she nodded to herself, affirming the events of the past. She continued laying there, too comfortable to wake up, when she remembered the guards who had been there all night. Her heart filled with pity, and she slowly shoved herself out of bed, kicking the blankets off with her long legs. Rolling over, she climbed out of bed, blinking away the last remains of sleep from her eyes.

"CHANGE GUARD," she commanded tiredly, then turned towards Twilight. What if she woke up today? She wondered to herself, though quickly dismissed it. If she woke up today, she'd have to be the strongest alicorn in history. Most alicorns took at least three days to recover, usually over a week. Then again, Twilight was special. She could wake up today... her mind began to wander when she noticed Twilight shifting in her bed. Luna flew over to her daughter and near light-speed, standing over her protectively. Twilight merely shifted a bit, her legs in a more stretched position, and went back to her sleep. Luna sighed, turning away and back towards the other sleeping ponies. Poor Spike, she thought to herself. "Guard?" She inquired, her voice still cracked with sleep.

"Yes ma'am?" Inquired the same guard as the previous evening.

"Please go locate Spike. If he wishes to come, and only if so, please bring him here quickly. Tell him Twilight may wake up today." She knew she was lying through her teeth, but she could, it was true, so it wasn't completely lying.

"Yes ma'am," he repeated, this time as a sentence rather than question, and flew off, using the same window as Princess Luna as she opened it magically before he hit himself on it. She then glanced up at the analog clock, its pale blue hands a beautiful contrast to its white face and dark blue numbers. It was nearly ten o'clock, and she debated whether she should wake the others up or not. Deciding against it, she decided she'd only wake them up if it was truly necessary. Sitting back down on her bed, she laid down, falling asleep again.

She was awoken by a gentle shaking from a guard, who was clearly scared of waking her up. She smiled, and the guard relaxed some. "We found the dragon, ma'am. He wished to come." The guard pointed to Spike, sitting with Twilight and slowly stroking her elongated mane.

"Thank you Sandy Feathers. You may go." The guard nodded and flew away, resuming his post outside the door. Princess Luna then turned towards Spike, walking slowly towards him. "Spike? How are you?"

"Fine," he replied stiffly, then sighed. "I just want to be here when she wakes up, and be sure she won't leave me." He choked at the end, and she could tell he truly loved Twilight Sparkle.

"Well Spike, what would you say to being Twilight's personal guest at the castle? I can make one final command before stepping down from the crown after all, and I think I know what to make it now." Spike's tears quickly disappeared, his mouth breaking into a grin.

"Really Princess! Wow, thanks!" He jumped off the bed, grabbing Luna's foreleg into a tight hug. She stumbled back half a step, then returned the embrace. They hugged tightly for a few minutes, when he finally backed away. "So is it true she could wake up today?" Princess Luna gulped awkwardly, shifting another half step away.

"She could. It's more likely that she'll wake up in a few days though." His face fell a bit, but he was still excited. "Based on the fact she collapsed performing a Rejuvenation Spell, something even I have trouble with, she could very well awaken today though." His smile stretched even larger, when Twilight shifted again. That's it, I'm waking them up, decided Luna, turning towards the five slumbering ponies. Closing her eyes and sitting down, she flared her wings, focusing on tapping into Rainbow Dash first. Within moments, she was seeing Rainbow Dash's dream, Rainbow Dash performing Sonic Rainboom after Sonic Rainboom in a Wonderbolts uniform. Princess Luna concentrated more, slowly separating Rainbow Dash from the dream world and waking her up. She exited the spell, and saw Rainbow Dash's eyes blink open slowly. She did the same with the other ponies, their dreams strangely excited, and she found it strange that none of them had nightmares. Aha! She thought, and closed her eyes once again. Focusing on Twilight Sparkle, she tapped into her mind, Twilight's dreams flooding into Luna's mind. They were all dim and foggy, and Luna gasped, breaking the spell.

"What! What!" Yelled Spike, seeing Luna's reaction.

"I do believe Twilight is going to awake very soon," she declared. The fogginess was the sign of separation from dreams, usually mere moments before awakening. Pinkie heard this and jumped up, hopping to Twilight's bed as though she had been awake for hours. The others followed slowly, Fluttershy mildly confused at Pinkie's jumping. Fluttershy slowly approached the Princess, her eyes touched with worry.

"Who's watching my animals?" Asked Fluttershy, clearly more worried than she should be.

"I sent off Bumble Buzz to watch them," smiled Luna, recalling yet another command she had issued the previous day. Fluttershy smiled, and Luna was glad she had chosen the proper pony for the job. Fluttershy joined her friends, who were gathered in a tight circle around Twilight, and Princess Luna stood behind Rarity and Pinkie, watching carefully. Spike sat on the bed, and they all were filled with the same emotions-worry, happiness, and confusion. Twilight stirred again, and they all held their breath, leaning in over the alicorn. She didn't wake up, however, and they all exhaled simultaneously.

"I do wonder what's going on in her mind," stated Rarity, talking to herself.

"Do you really?" Inquired Luna, before falling back into the dream-searching spell. It came easily to her, considering she was the goddess of dreams and the night, though Celestia would have great troubles with it.

Twilight Sparkle ran through a long maze, her hooves banging against the stone floors. The walls were closing in on her, and though she had wings for no apparent reason, she couldn't use them. You could hear scratching footsteps behind her, and Discord's voice echoing through the stones. She increased her speed, but the exit got farther and farther... Luna backed out of Twilight's mind, smiling at the common dream, though still feeling bad for Twilight.

"She's merely dreaming of being chased by Discord in a stone maze that keeps getting smaller," sighed Luna, and Rarity's eyes widened. "Soon, the maze should flatten her, and then she'll wake up. I'm impressed," she added, "At how fast she's waking up. It's uncanny, honestly." Applejack nodded, remembering the dream herself. Twilight Sparkle began moving once again, and they all gasped, watching intently over her. Spike continued stroking her mane, narrowly avoiding being kicked, and the tension increased exponentially with every passing moment. Princess Luna pushed through the throng of ponies, now nearest to her daughter's face. She leaned into Twilight, gently kissing her on the cheek. Leaning back, she smiled, and Twilight's eyes flickered open.

Her eyes shut again, but they had all seen it, gasping loudly. Twilight opened her eyes once again, then blinked them rapidly to clear away the gunk from her extended sleep. "P-princess?" She stuttered, then saw Spike. "Spike? Everypony?" She blinked a final time, and the world became clear. "Where am I?" Twilight's friends remained silent, so Luna began to speak.

"Twilight Sparkle, what I am going to tell you will leave you extremely confused, but you have all the time in the world to question it. You are my daughter, and you... you are an alicorn." Twilight's face had morphed into shock at the first statement, but at the alicorn statement, she simply stared. Slowly moving into a sitting position, she opened her wings experimentally, flapping them a few times. Glancing back at them confusedly, she saw just how long her mane was, and how big she had become.

"Why?" Twilight's voice had changed also, a smoother, slightly more elegant tone to it. And Princess Luna smiled. They all began explaining to Twilight in scattered voices, melding together into a mess Twilight somehow understood.

A few hours later, they had finished the story, and Twilight had pieced it together, asking all the appropriate questions. "What will happen to you and Celestia after you pass the crown?" She inquired worriedly, still flapping her wings.

"Tia and I will fall to our old forms-her as a unicorn and myself as a pegasus. We will still live in the castle, but we will be old. Not that old," she added, seeing Twilight's worry, "But about seventy*. We have lived for thousands of years-in fact, five thousand, four hundred as of your coronation for me." Twilight gasped, a new question forming in her mind.

"Am I going to live for that long? And that means one hundred pony years equal one alicorn year! You could live nearly forever!"

"We could indeed. Alicorns are immortal, after all. Until we pass the crown." Princess Luna's voice bordered on wistful at the final comment, and her eyes flickered with an unidentifiable emotion.

"When am I going to learn to fly?" Twilight's question was an abrupt change of subject, and Rainbow Dash was just about to tell her when Princess Luna raised a hoof warningly.

"After I pass the crown."

"Whoa, wait. So I'm not going to be taught by my mother how to be a princess, but by my aunt?" She was so indignant she nearly squeaked, but Spike resumed stroking Twilight's mane and she calmed down a bit.

"Yes. Princess Celestia is a better ruler-she wasn't banished to the moon, was she? And it makes more sense than to have mother and daughter ruling. As much as I would love to, my dear." Princess Luna stroked her daughter's mane as well, her hooves gliding along the multicolored assortment of hair. "Twilight, if you don't mind me asking, why are you taking this so well? It... it's shocking that you'd be so accepting of this." Twilight's face changed to one of contemplation, then relaxation as she replied.

"I... I always knew I was special. And I had a feeling something was going to happen. And I don't look that much like my parents, do I? Of course, more so like my mom than my dad, but still..." her voice trailed off, but her eyes sparked and she continued. "I know that sounds conceited, but I really did know something was going to happen. And this isn't as shocking as what I thought would happen..." a blush rose to her cheeks at the final part, and she hid her head under her hooves.

"And what would that be?" Asked Spike, ceasing the mane-brushing for a bit.

"N-nothing," stammered Twilight, her hooves still covering her face.

"C'mon!" Insisted all of the others simultaneously, and Twilight poked an eye out from behind her hooves.

"Well... I kind of thought I was Celestia's daughter, or Discord's." She whispered the last segment, but no one in the room laughed.

"Actually, that's not that shocking. Considering how close you are to Celly, and how Discord never discordified you, it seems almost logical." Luna stumbled over 'discordified', the word simply designed on the fly, but Twilight nodded, not noticing.

"When do I get to tell everyone? Like the others in Ponyville?"

"On your coronation. No sooner, no later. Knowing before hand would cause quite a disturbance, especially to the Canterlot citizens." Twilight sighed in agreement, remembering several scenes of how snooty and melodramatic Canterlot citizens were. Like that one time with Cadance and the punch... her mind trailed, and her friends all watched her, still not saying anything, when Twilight's stomach let out a long, loud growl.

"Somepony's HUNGRY!" Declared Pinkie, hopping around and producing a cupcake from no where. Twilight lifted it with her magic, but quickly dropped it, landing back on the plate Pinkie had also produced. "What's wrong with it Twilight? Don't like vanilla? I have chocolate, and strawberry, and cherry, and candy..." Pinkie continued listing off the cupcake flavors until Twilight stuck a hoof in Pinkie's mouth.

"Magic is so much easier now. Effortless, almost. Why?"

"Because you were a unicorn before you became an alicorn. If you had been a pegasus, flying would be incredibly easy. And if you were Rainbow Dash, you'd never have to walk again, because your wings would be your hooves."

"Oh. And Pinkie, I'll take that vanilla one," smiled Twilight, grabbing it with her magic once again.

"Okie dokie lokie Twilight!" Pinkie giggled, stuffing the other cupcakes back into nowhere before sitting back down.

"I'll get you some real food," sighed Luna as Twilight finished off the cupcake. "Guard?" She inquired for the millionth time, and the same guard came in. "Can you get me five normal meals, one large meal, one extremely large meal, and a large plate of gemstones?"

"Of course, Princess." The guard saluted before marching out, this time not flying, and Twilight raised a hoof to ask a question.

"Yes Twilight? And you don't need to raise your hoof. You're an alicorn!" Twilight giggled at the reminder, flapping her wings again eagerly.

"Can I command the guards?"

"When I hand off the crown, my guards will become yours, as well as the ones Tia and I share. After she hands off the crown, all the guards will be under your command."

"Even my big brother?" Twilight was hit with yet another flashback, this time of her brother's wedding, and she launched into a set of laughter, its sound similar to musical bells in the wind.

"Yes, even your big brother." Princess Luna smiled at the idea, just as the guard came in, struggling with the plates in his mouth or balanced on his back. Rarity grabbed a small plate with her magic, setting it down in front of her, and the plate of gemstones for Spike. Twilight grabbed her extremely large plate and Luna's, while Luna grabbed the other four plates and set them down in front of the other four ponies. Before they knew it, Twilight had scarfed down the plate of food with the ferocity of a manticore, before even Spike had finished his first gemstone.

"My my Twilight, that isn't very ladylike," sighed Rarity, gently patting off her face with a napkin.

"Don't say that or I'll banish you to the moon!" Declared Twilight, her eyes twinkling as though she would burst into another fit of laughter at any moment.

"If you do that, you'll have to banish all of us!" Applejack's exclamation was accompanied with her bouncing onto Twilight's bed, followed by Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie respectively. They all began tickling Twilight, Spike as well, and Twilight's wild laughter echoed through the room, as Luna watched with the caring gaze only a mother could have. As the laughter began to slow, the ponies jumped off of Twilight and back into their chairs, when Princess Luna glanced at the clock.

"Twilight, stand up!" She declared suddenly, and Twilight bounced up immediately, pushing the bed away with new found strength. "You six, I need you to leave. Twilight needs to get to Canterlot! If she's going to be having her coronation tomorrow, she needs to be in Canterlot by tonight! Do not breathe a word of this to any one. Say she is ill and is going to Canterlot for extreme medical procedures should anyone ask. I will leave first. Twilight, you can do an illusion spell, correct?" Twilight nodded slowly, taken aback by the sudden energy. "I need you to create an illusion of you being a normal, sick unicorn. We will board the normal train, I with several guards. Cast it now!" Twilight complied, the spell coming incredibly easily, and she began stumbling down the stairs, Luna following closely. Her friends followed, shocked by their alicorn friend now looking like her old self. The guards began following Princess Luna, six of them surrounding her and Twilight as they left the hospital. They stumbled slowly to the train station, and were immediately allowed to the front of the ticket line.

"How can I help you?" Asked the old ticket master, his voice creaking.

"I need two first class tickets to Canterlot for the soonest train!"

"There's one leaving in two minutes. It'll arrive at nine fif-"

"I'll take them!" She felt slightly guilty for simply cutting him off, but he held out the tickets. She lifted a small bag of bits, shoving them at him. "Keep the change!" She insisted before dashing off to the platform, followed by a green-faced Twilight. The ponies parted and bowed as Princess Luna passed, and they made it to the platform just as it pulled in. Luna magically lifted the tickets, then dragged Twilight onto the train and into a large private car, complete with beds and bathroom. "Twilight, when we get there, you need to know a few things. Keep the illusion until we are in your old chambers-where you stayed as a student. Then we will elaborate on what you must do tomorrow. Get more rest, you've had a long day." Twilight nodded, obeying the orders of the Princess, and collapsed on the bed, her eyes shut tight. Princess Luna smiled at her, then turned outside. Once again, the sun was just setting, and Princess Luna grabbed the moon, lifting it into the sky. Glad to have that out of the way, she turned back towards Twilight with a caring smile. Leaving the car, she went to the dining car. The ponies bowed, but she waved them up, approaching the "waiter".

"Can I get you anything, Princess?" His voice was smooth, and his mustache was perfectly curled.

"A cake please. A very large one." The "waiter" nodded and turned around, searching the desert cart. He lifted one, setting it on the table in front of him.

"Normally? Three hundred bits. For you? One hundred." She snickered in spite of herself, and lifted another small bag. Each bag held three hundred bits, while the larger ones she carried held a thousand. She set it on the table and magically lifted the cake, carrying it back to her car with a careful elegance. Upon returning, she set it on the table and magically sliced it into twenty slices, thanks to the cake cutter that came with the cake. Lifting two pieces, she stuffed them in her mouth, filling her cheeks like chipmunks. If the press could see me know, she snickered again. All Princesses had a fault for cake. A large fault. It apparently came with the magic. Or the wings. Either way... She stuffed another piece of cake in her mouth, then swallowed them all. She heard her guards flying alongside the train, and the train tooted its horn. Lifting another piece of cake, one though ran through her mind. It's going to be a long, cake-filled night.
> Becoming Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight Sparkle awoke with a start, glancing around nervously. She knew she had been having a nightmare, but of what, she could not recall for the life of her. Taking a second look around, she became even more confused. She wasn't in the hospital, or on the train-in fact, everything after her boarding the train was gone. Slowly clambering out of her bed, she glanced over at the side table. A half-filled glass of water sat over a note scrawled in Princess Luna's cursive writing. Lifting it with incredible ease using her magic, her eyes searched over it with worry.

I apologize for you awakening where you are unfamiliar. You are in your old quarters. I had to carry you here, for you slept quite soundly on the train. As soon as you awaken, call for a guard and ask for me. The ones outside your doors are under command to follow reasonable commands from you, so perhaps ask from your food if you so wish. As soon as the guards summon me I will be there, for you coronation is just before sunset. You will raise the moon symbolically, representing you know have control of the moon from my regalia.

Luna

Twilight nodded slowly, and sighed. Of course Luna wouldn't have stayed with her-but was it too foalish to wish so? "Guard?" She inquired, wondering if one would come at all. Of course one did, opening her door with his magic and walking in in a smooth, militant manner. "Can you please get Princess Luna for me?"

"Of course, Madam Sparkle." The guard politely ducked his head, leaving silently and shutting the door behind him. Twilight smiled. This could take some adjusting to, but I can definitely grow to love this! She was about to turn and see how similar this room was to how it had been when she left it when Princess Luna ran in through the doors, shutting them angrily.

"Somepony slept far too late! We have to get started!" Her voice was raised, but not yelling, and Twilight was shocked. A tear welled in her eye, but she brushed it away. If that was how her mother was going to be, so be it.

"Then lets get started!" Twilight's voice was of equal strength, and Princess Luna looked shocked before returning to a slightly kinder gaze.

"Very well. Now, we need to practice. But first, a small tidbit of information on my Regalia. It is these that control the moon, not my own magic. You must have both to control both. It took Princess Celestia a very long time to realize she could control both the moon and the sun, since I had become Nightmare Moon. Since Celestia will not be unable to control the sun and the moon, with my Regalia you can only control the moon. Even if Celly were to become a Nightmare version of herself, unless she was banished out of Equestria, you can only control the moon. Be careful, and consider yourself warned.

"Anyways. The procedures. Do you recall the front of the castle, where there is a platform?" Twilight nodded, an image of it flashing into her mind. "You will stand upon it, and I on your right. I'll say some fancy words while Celly is behind you, lowering the sun behind you. As the sun stands directly behind you, I will magically lift my Regalia and place them onto you. You'll have to levitate yourself a bit so the hooves slip on, and tada. You will become Princess of the Moon. Your mane will become like mine, but only slightly. You will need both Regalias for it to become perfect. Now, I brought some practice things," smiled Luna, magically lifting two orbs from her bag. One was a pale orange and glowing, the other white like the moon. "I will levitate the sun slowly behind you while speaking the fancy words. Then you will raise yourself so these can slip on." She levitated a few more objects, paper forms of the Regalia. "They'll slip on, and then I will drop the sun as you raise the moon."

"Yes teacher!" Cried Twilight, forgetting she wasn't in school, and immediately stood in the position she'd be in for the coronation. Luna smiled, her eyes twinkling as she lifted the sun behind Twilight, slowly setting it. Luna began speaking, and Twilight couldn't help but smile at the beauty of her mother's voice. The sun continued setting until the light from it back-lit Twilight elegantly, and Twilight levitated herself slightly, letting the papers slide onto her hooves, neck, and head. Slowly falling to the ground, flapping her wings merely for show, she landed just as the sun set, using her magic to lift the small white orb into motion above the sky.

"And then, my dear daughter, you will say a few words of your own, and bow to your people." Princess Luna demonstrated, and Twilight giggled.

"A few words to my people," said Twilight elegantly, and bowed, her horn nearly touching the floor.

"You must take this seriously!" Yelled Luna, her voice rising again, and Twilight jumped up.

"Okay! Just leave me alone!" Twilight's nervousness got the better of her as she snapped, and Luna gasped, shocked by Twilight's outburst.

"So be it! See you tonight!" Luna scowled and stomped off, leaving Twilight to run and collapse on her bed in a fit of tears.

Twilight awoke from her nap, this time not confused as to what had happened. Glancing over at the window, she jumped out of bed. The sun was past its peak, nearing dinner time, and she moaned, slumping back on her pillow. After a few minutes, she hoisted herself out of bed, glancing over at the mirror. Her mane was in decent enough order, and she opened the doors magically, stepping out into the stone hallways. Walking through them to the dining hall, she was shocked at how guards bowed to her, as did other ponies in the castle. Even the small group of foals here from their school stopped to bow to her, and she curtsied back before the teacher hustled them away. A guard opened the dining hall door for her, and she walked in, more graceful than ever. I'll have to write this down, she thought giddily, turning to sit at the seat to the right of where Celestia sat.

"Nonsense," spoke a familiar voice, and Twilight jumped up to bow to her mentor. "You needn't bow to me, Twilight. We are nearly equals, after all." Twilight blushed and stood back up. "Now, Twilight, who says you sit in my spot today?" Twilight smiled, jumping like a giddy schoolfilly. That had always been a secret dream of hers, to sit where the Princess and leader of Equestria sat. Sitting down, Celestia sat in Twilight's old spot, smiling. "Now, what to eat?" Twilight wasn't really sure until a menu appeared magically. Glancing over it, she was shocked by the assortment. It folded out into three pages, and she wasn't sure she wanted to open it more. "Just say what you want," smiled Celestia, and Twilight was confused.

"I'll have some apple juice, a fried daisy sandwich, and a vanilla cupcake." Her voice teetered with uncertainty, but within the blink of an eye, the food appeared. Twilight giggled, filled with nerves but converting it to eagerness. Lifting the sandwich daintily, she took a bite, finding she could eat much faster than she used to be able to, since her mouth was bigger. She finished off the sandwich and half the apple juice, then began gnawing at the cupcake. Princess Celestia had ordered as well, and they both looked at each other at the same time, then burst out giggling. Twilight set down her cupcake, nearly rolling as she laughed.

"Nervous, my student?"

"You know me far too well, Princess Celestia," smiled Twilight, and Princess Celestia smiled back.

"Well, no pressure, but it's nearly time." Celestia pointed with a hoof out the window, and Twilight gasped. Stuffing the cupcake in her mouth, she ran out of the room, leaving Celestia confused.

Twilight arrived in her room in mere moments, it being just down the hall from the dining room. She was shocked to see she wasn't out of breath, but ignored it and ran towards the vanity. Stopping in front of it, she began speaking to herself in a low voice.

"One Canterlot Castle, Two Canterlot Castle," she lifted the manebrush as she counted, counting the strokes through her extended mane. She felt herself slowly relaxing until she was done hyperventilating, and she set down the brush. "Much better," she decided, looking at her mane again. Magically lifting a random bottle off the desk, she read the label. "Midnight Mystery," she said with a chuckle, lifting another. "Solar Flare? Sparkling Sunshine?" Lifting them to her nose, she took a short sniff of each of them, and set them down with disgust. Lifting the fourth one, she sniffed it and smiled. It was the one she had used once, on the night of the "Grand" Galloping Gala. Spritzing it magically through her mane and across her body, she winked up at herself with a cheesy grin. Leaving the room much more distinguished than when she had entered, she headed to the main stairs, trotting down them. Luna was waiting by the doors, as well as Celestia, and Twilight dashed towards them, grabbing Luna in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry mo-mommy," she sighed through Luna's pelt, and Luna returned the hug, Celestia staring at them with a loving expression.

"Hate to interrupt the moment, but it's time." The guard was none other than Twilight's brother, and Twilight tackled him in a hug before the doors opened slowly. "Good luck Twily," he whispered as she stepped out into the whispering crowd, standing boldly on the wooden platform. The crowd silenced as Luna stepped forward next to her, followed by Celestia behind them. Her back was turned to the audience as she slowly lowered the sun, and Luna cleared her throat.


Back in Ponyville


Every citizen of Ponyville was gathered around the Mayor's Magic Mirror, staring at the incredibly large thing with disbelief.

"Is that Twilight Sparkle?" Whispered one pony, only to be silence by hundreds of 'Shhh's. They all leaned in as Luna cleared her throat, and Twilight's friends were at the front of the crowd, a knowing smile on their faces.


Back to Canterlot


"As you may or may not have gathered, you are here today to see the half-coronation of your new leader. My own daughter is here to lead you, and many of you know her from her fillyhood. I present to you Twilight Sparkle!" Everypony in the crowd bowed, and Twilight smiled as Luna continued. "I was not there for most of her life, but I know what strong mare she has grown to be. She will be taught by your dearest Princess Celestia, and I will become another one of you, as a pegasus." The crowd collectively gasped at this, but Luna raised a hoof and they fell silent once again. "She will be your greatest leader, leading you with a brave heart and open hooves! Now, I shall crown thee Twilight Sparkle!" At that moment, the sun fell behind Twilight, and she levitated herself several hooves above the platform, now towering nearly ten hooves above the crowd rather than seven. Princess Luna gulped, as if regretting what she was about to do, then spoke the finishing key. "Ego coronam te princeps, ad ducere populus per laborem et solliciti ut sola et fortis ducem. Mea ornamenta et assumat te dominum!" The Regalia lifted itself from Princess Luna, first the crown, then necklace, then hoof-covers. Slowly setting themselves on Twilight Sparkle, they morphed.

The crown became an elegant deep violet, nearly black, and set itself upon Twilight's head, black diamonds glistening in it. The necklace followed in a similar manner and color, the center stone this time a dark amethyst. The hoof-covers came last, securing themselves tightly and becoming the same deep violet. Her mane and tail also changed, becoming a lightly blowing array of magenta, violet, and dark blue, twirling and shifting through an unseen breeze. The crowd, shocked, stood unmovingly, and not even a breath was audible. Then the first row came into a bow, followed by each row in a wave-ish pattern. Twilight Sparkle copied them, bowing so her horn scraped the ground. Slowly raising herself, she turned to face the crowd, the butterflies in her stomach gone.

"I stand before you as a new leader. Some of you do not know me well, many not at all. But I will lead you with all my strength, putting your lives above mine to save the land of Equestria!" Silence echoed across all of Equestria, and Twilight gulped. Suddenly, a storm of hoof-clapping could be heard, echoing where the silence once had been, and Twilight Sparkle's smile returned.

"I now deem you Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Cried Princess Celestia and Luna, and Twilight glanced at Luna. The urge to gasp was overwhelming, but she kept her cool. Luna had changed to a much paler blue, now the average size of a pony. Her mane was simple, and she overall represented how she had been after being rescued from Nightmare Moon, save two differences. Her horn was gone, and her Cutie Mark had changed. Rather than a moon, it was a telescope. Twilight shook her head with a grin and turned towards the opposite horizon of where the sun had set. Sitting down, she flared her wings out, and her horn began to glow its familiar pale magenta. Her eyes were closed as she searched for the moon, finally grabbing hold of it. Bowing her head down, she lifted the moon, moving her head with it as she raised it into motion. Opening her eyes, she glanced up in the sky, and gasped. There it was, the moon she had raised herself. The hoof-clapping continued, and Princess Twilight Sparkle's mother smiled, looking so... different now. Twilight Sparkle bowed once again, then turned and left, followed by Princess Celestia and then Luna, who had each bowed as well.

As they entered the castle, the first thing Twilight saw was her brother, bowed down to her at the side of the hall. Walking over to him, she waved him up, embracing him in a tight hug.

"Well now you're the big sister, aren't ya Twily?" Chided her brother in a teasing voice, and Twilight giggled.

"I suppose so." Twilight sighed, suddenly extremely tired. "I'm feeling quite fatigued-please go back to your duties." Her brother nodded, and Twilight turned to Celestia. "You don't mind if I retire for the night, do you?"

"Of course not. But tomorrow, you have your night court," smiled Celestia. "And paperwork. Pleeenty of paperwork." Twilight groaned, eliciting another smile from Celestia. "Groaned like a true princess. I'll handle court tonight though, dear." Twilight nodded gratefully and stumbled towards her room, the corners of her vision turning black as she shoved open the door and slammed it shut behind her. The two guards standing outside it gave her a worried glance, but Twilight ignored them and ran over to the window. Sticking her head out, she began panting, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind. Unfortunately, it failed to do so, and she simply felt more sick. Turning to the single bookshelf, she cast a simple spell to find a healing book. The effort sent pangs of pain through her mind, but she managed to grab the book and set it on her bed. Opening it with her mouth, she glanced over the contents and flipped to 'Stomach Pains, Nausea, and Other Internal Pains'. She scanned rapidly through the pages, hoping to find a spell that could at least get the dizziness away. The words swam on the pages, but she managed to find a spell that should help. Closing her eyes, she began the spell, and immediately her mind was cleared. Her stomach still hurt, but she could fix that later. And of course, the blackness still remained at the corner of her eyes. She turned to the index, searching for something having to do with eyesight. Flipping open to the page, she was shocked at the category.

Poisons. Reading over it, it fit all the symptoms she was stuck with. Nausea, messed up eyesight, stomach pains. It said the poison was transmitted via food, and was rarely an accident. The only cure was sleep, and in some cases, chewing ginger was rumored to help.

"Guard?" She whispered, the pain too strong to speak any louder. The guard immediately burst in, and Twilight sighed. "Quiet, please. Can you get me some raw ginger and a medic?" The guard nodded and ran off. Twilight grunted with effort as she climbed up into her bed. Laying on top of the cool covers, she realized how warm she was just as a nurse ran in.

"What's wrong, Princess?" She ignored the bowing, immediately rushing towards Twilight.

"I think I'm poisoned. My book's opened to the right page," Twilight Sparkle whispered, the room spinning and distorting before her. "I feel really hot too."

"Guards! Get the Princess to the infirmary immediately!" Twilight was about to insist she didn't need any infirmary when the world became completely black. Meanwhile, the guards rushed her to the infirmary, carrying her magically as the nurse ran behind them. Setting the princess on a large bed, the guards immediately left the nurse to do her job. Setting an IV in the Princess' forearm, she began injecting a simple pain-relieving/sleep medicine. She then turned back to the book the Princess had been looking through. It appeared as though the poison was deadly if not treated properly-yet no one knew the proper treatment. Sighing, the nurse began flipping through her own books, searching for any cure to the so called "Nightmare's Curse".

Running out of the infirmary, the nurse began charging towards Princess Celestia's chambers. Banging nervously on the door, her pale pink hair was slipping out of its bun and her pale grey coat was becoming disheveled. Celestia opened the door with a glare, but stopped at the sight of the frazzled nurse. "What's wrong, Nurse Grey?"

"Princess... Nightmare's Curse... Know a cure?" Her breathing was more of panting, and Celestia led the nurse inside to a comfortable chair.

"I do not personally, but I believe a friend of Twilight's does. I'll send a letter to Spike immediately," added the Princess, mostly to herself as she began scrawling a letter rapidly.

Dear Spike,
Please deliver this to Zecora. Immediately.
Celestia

The writing was cramped, but Celestia adjusted it for the attached letter to Zecora.

Dear Zecora,

It seems Princess Twilight Sparkle has been cursed with Nightmare's Curse-a rare poison with no known cure for ponykind. Do you know a cure? Please let me know immediately-Spike will send me a reply.

Princess Celestia

Rolling the scrolls magically, she bound them with a black ribbon, the sign for urgency, and sent it off with a wave of her horn. Turning back to Nurse Grey, she sighed. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"The Princess called for the guards to get me, and when I got there, she said she was very warm, and her book was open to the right page. It was open to Nightmare's Curse, and she fit all the symptoms to a T." Nurse Grey's breathing had returned to normal, and her Canterlot accent was far more caring than that of the average Canterlotian. Princess Celestia nodded just as her horn spurted a reply.

Dearest Princess,

I know the cure indeed, but the cure is found in a weed. Poison Joke is the antidote.

Zecora

"Of course," whispered Celestia, before turning to the nurse. "She needs Poison Joke. You do have some, correct?" Her voice took on a hard edge, and her pupils shrank slightly.

"But of course, Princess," smiled the nurse, bowing before running out of the room back to the infirmary. Once there, she began searching through her shelves anxiously, glancing over each jar until she found the blue plant. Removing it carefully, she knew she had touched it, but the curse was nothing compared to saving the Princess. She carefully peeled off the leaves, grinding them into an incredibly fine powder and adding it to the IV drip. Let's hope this works, she sighed, her hooves literally crossed under her. Staring intently at Princess Twilight, her eyes rarely blinked for half an hour, until she saw color returning to the Princess' cheeks. "Of course it worked," grinned the nurse, before looking down at her hooves to see they had turned to chicken claws. "Of course."
> Learning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight awoke in the castle infirmary, confused. Why wasn't she in her bed in the castle? Glancing around, she recognized that it was the castle infirmary, and she remembered some of what had happened last night. Sighing, she carefully crawled out of bed, and within moments a nurse was at her side.

"How can I help you Princess?" Asked the nurse, bowing to the ground. Twilight inwardly groaned. Sure, bowing was a sign of respect, but to her it was more of a pain in the flank.

"Please, no need to bow Nurse..."

"Nurse Grey, at your service." Nurse Grey pulled out of the bow, her face apologetic.

"What happened?" Twilight Sparkle glanced around the room for any clue as to what had happened, but there was nothing, of course. The infirmary was kept in top shape, and everything sparkled.

"Well, Princess..." the Nurse's voice trailed off as though she was unsure how to phrase what she was about to say, then continued. "You were poisoned by a toxic plant entitled Nightmare's Curse. Princess Celestia is running a complete investigation, and who ever is found to be guilty will most certainly be punished with death." Twilight was shocked by the final part, and she made a mental note to ask Celestia when they had instated a death penalty.

"Thank you, Nurse Grey. Have a grand day." Twilight left, deep in thought as she walked to Princess Celestia's room. She arrived there within moments, and raised a hoof to knock, met by the door swinging open. Twilight poked her head in, and was shocked by what she saw. Princess Celestia was literally pulling her mane out, pacing back and forth through the room and yelling at some pony.

"Are you sure it'll work?... I need this to pull through... My crown will always be..." Twilight could only catch snippets of their conversation before she raised a hoof to knock once again, backing up as though she had just knocked for the first time. "Hello, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Greeted the white alicorn, stepping into the hall and shutting the door behind her. "Are you here to begin your lessons?"

"Yes, Princess," smiled Twilight Sparkle, putting the strange sight out of her mind for the moment. "Oh, Princess, when did we instate a death penalty?" Princess Celestia gaped, her mouth dropping open momentarily before she regained her posture.

"It's not really death-er, well, it is. After Prin-ahem, Luna was banished to the moon as Nightmare Moon, many ponies began trying crazy things, thinking they could get away with more since there was only one leader. Many of them killed each other or stole, and we had to do something about it. It is, however, completely painless, and done while they are asleep, and only after a fair trial. Anywho," she added, changing the subject, "Let's begin with the royal court. You can attend one of my cases and assist me."

"Thank you Princess," smiled Twilight before letting Celestia continue.

"Now, court isn't that terrible. You listen to both sides of the story, and decide whether the accused-who is always on your left-is guilty or not. If so, you decide a punishment, and if not, you dismiss the court. Often times, it is really nothing more than a simple case of someone taking somepony's flowers. However, this case is more severe." Twilight had struggled to keep up with her mentor's pace, walking quickly and taking smaller steps since her legs were slightly shorter. "We have a Roseluck of Ponyville accusing a Carrot Top of Ponyville of poisoning her entire garden. Before we continue, you may wish to read this." Out of seemingly nowhere, Princess Celestia held up a scroll, and Twilight grabbed it magically, unfurling it and reading it anxiously.

Crimes and Punisments
Traffic Violations: Fine of 100-300 Bits.
Petty Theft: Fine of the value of objects stolen.
Forgery or Counterfeiting: Fine of 500 Bits and one month community service.
Vandalism: Fine of 500 Bits and three months community service.
Major Theft/Robbery: Fine of 1000 Bits and up to six months community service.
Destruction of Property: Fine of 2500 Bits and up to six months imprisonment.
Abuse of Any Sort to Another Pony: Up to two years imprisonment.
Murder or Other Violent Crime to Another Pony: Up to twenty-five years imprisonment.
Should a crime involving multiple penalties arise, punishment guidelines are invalid save the maximum punishment of death penalty to be reserved solely for Murder or Other Violent Crimes and the maximum fine being 10000 Bits, Maximum community service is five years. All decisions must be just and can be appealed by the accused in which case they shall be brought to a jury of ten ponies who must all agree to the punishment.

Twilight quickly absorbed the scroll and nodded before Celestia lifted it and tucked it away. Turning towards the thick doors, they walked in smoothly, sitting in the booth several hooves above the below two boxes. One box, to the left, held Carrot Top accompanied by Doctor Whooves, and to the right was Roseluck and a pony Twilight was unfamiliar with. Her attention quickly turned back towards Celestia as she banged her hoof on the table in front of her and the room fell silent.

"We are gathered here today for a Formal Canterlot Court Hearing. Roseluck of Ponyville accuses Carrot Top of Ponyville of poisoning her garden. This falls under Vandalism, and Destruction of Property. We will first hear from the accused. Carrot Top, have you been sworn in?"

"Yes, Princess." Carrot Top's usually energetic voice was subdued, and her eyes glanced around the room nervously.

"Please come forward." Princess Celestia's voice had taken on a hard, no nonsense edge, and even Twilight flinched slightly. Carrot Top walked forward numbly, sitting on the hard wooden bench. "Now, Carrot Top, you are accused of poisoning Roseluck's prize garden. Do you deny these charges?" Carrot Top's lawyer nodded slowly at Carrot Top, and the orange mare took in a deep, slow breath before continuing.

"No." That one word shocked Twilight, but she continued watching intently.

"Very well. Now, what is your story?"

"I did poison Roseluck's garden, however, it was unintentional. Y-you see," her voice caught, and Twilight's curiosity increased tenfold. "I-I've always had a thing for Roseluck." Roseluck gasped, and her expression changed from anger and resentment to confusion. "I wanted to help her with her garden, become a secret helper of sorts until she became curious to who it was, then show myself. But the fertilizer I used must've been off, or something..." Carrot Top gulped, and Twilight's heart immediately swelled with pity for the mare. However, Princess Celestia's expression remained disapproving.

"As simply heartwarming of a story as that is," smiled Celestia sarcastically, "I still must punish you."

"No! No! I drop the charges!" Roseluck's voice was sudden and unexpected, but Celestia's expression did not waver.

"I see unfit to see both sides of the story, so I shall confer with Princess Sparkle and we shall decide what to do with her." She spat the final word before turning and walking back into the hall, followed by a confused Twilight.

"Princess? Why? She didn't mean to, and Roseluck wanted to drop the charges!" Twilight was angry at Celestia, and Princess Celestia's expression wavered for a mere moment.

"She wasted my time, so I now must complete the hearing. What do you believe the punishment should be?" Twilight glared at her mentor, then smiled.

"She should have to help Roseluck regrow her garden. 'Community Service' until the garden is back to its old state." Princess Celestia stared for a moment before nodding slowly and walked back in.

"Carrot Top, you have an indefinite amount of community service. You must assist Roseluck in regrowing her garden. You are dismissed." The other ponies in the room bowed gratefully and left, followed by Twilight to ponder about her mentor.

Twilight scrawled the letter anxiously before sending it, the scroll vanishing in a pale magenta flame. A few minutes later, she received the reply, and a smile flew across her face as she collapsed on her bed to nap for the time until she needed to raise the moon.


Back In Ponyville


"This is simply marvelous!" Exclaimed Rarity, fanning herself elegantly.

"This. Is. The. Coolest. Thing. Ever!" Rainbow Dash began flying in circles, before Spike interrupted everyone's eagerness.

"Guys? We might want to get to the train station."

"Oh yeah!" Exclaimed everypony else before dashing towards the train station. The train was just pulling in when they arrived, and upon presenting their tickets, were led to a car they had never seen before. It was lined with three Princess-sized bunkbeds, a door to the back leading into a restroom. Guards flew above the car, promising to be at the six mares' (and Spike's) beck and call. Spike's "room" was in the corner, separated off from the rest of the room. A freezer was stuffed with ice cream and gems, and he had an extremely comfortable bed. Within moments they had fallen asleep as the train chugged along, enjoying the custom-prepared beds.


In Canterlot


The ponies in the "Royal Carriage" awoke as the train screeched to a halt, and they were escorted out, led carefully to the castle. A large alicorn figure awaited them, and they bounded towards the Princess eagerly. Twilight swept them up in an alicorn-sized hug, babbling on about one thing or another, more glad to be seeing her friends than anything. She led them to their rooms, informing them of their new positions here in the castle. Rainbow Dash, however, didn't receive one until they arrived outdoors.

"Dash?" Rainbow Dash was startled by Twilight's new voice, the way it flowed through the air as though a natural part of the universe, but she blinked and turned towards Twilight.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to teach me to fly. Starting now."

"Is that a command, Princess?" Asked Rainbow Dash teasingly, a chuckle in her throat.

"Yes," grinned Twilight, and Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. Same old Twilight.

"Well then let's start! I want you to flap those monsters with my voice. Up, down, up, down, up, down..." Rainbow Dash's voice started slowly before increasing in speed, flapping in time with the beat as well. "Updownupdownupdownupdown!" With that, Twilight raised herself from the ground ever so slightly, emitting a squeak of glee. "Keep flapping! Once you get up here," she added, already up about fifty hooves, "Slow your flapping to a hover." Honestly, Rainbow Dash was impressed by her "student's" skill, considering it was her first time flying.

"Like this?" Asked Twilight, interrupting Dash's thoughts.

"Yeah! Now, tilt your wings forward slightly, and lean with them, going towards the ground. About five hooves up, even your wings for a landing!" Rainbow Dash dashed through the movements, then flew back up, repeating the instructions slowly as Twilight completed them, landing evenly and gracefully. Rainbow Dash once again was shocked, her jaw slipping open as she stared at the goddess.

"What? Too good for you?" Twilight giggled, and Rainbow Dash was once again caught by the goddess' elegance.

"Yeah! Er, no, er..." Twilight giggled again, her musical voice echoing through the garden as she lightly cuffed Rainbow Dash over the ear.

"Shall we continue?"

"Yeah! Okay, let's try going higher! Fly as high as you can without getting dizzy or anything, then come down for a landing." Twilight nodded, probably calculating the best way to climb through the air, then hunched over slightly before jumping, flapping her wings and climbing.

"Wooooooo!" Screamed Twilight, forgetting her royal position as she flew in circles, stopping to land on a cloud near the highest tower. Standing on it, she decided to test something she had read once in a Pegasus Flight Manual. Rearing up on her hind legs, she stomped down on the cloud, sending her forelegs straight through it. A bolt of lightning followed the path of her hooves, crashing to the ground below. Within moments, Rainbow Dash was there, checking to see if the Princess was okay.

"Are you okay? You shouldn't do that! You could get hurt or something!" Rainbow Dash's voice was filled with concern, but Twilight simply laughed.

"I'm fine, Dashie! Now, I'm gonna try rain." Twi's impressive night vision scanned through the sky before locking on a dark grey cloud, and she zipped over towards it. "Hey Dash? Why am I so good at flying?"

"Probably because of all those books you've read, you egghead!" Teased Rainbow Dash, hovering a few hooves away from Twilight, unsure what she was going to do exactly.

"Probably!" Came Twilight's reply, before flapping her wings and raising about two hooves above the cloud. Without warning, she landed squarely on it, all her hooves landing simultaneously. The rain that had been held in the clouds fell towards the ground, landing slowly on the grass below. "I'm good at weather, aren't I Dash?" The question was partially a statement, and Rainbow Dash was unsure how to reply. "We should probably go to bed now," smiled Twilight, zipping past Dash and leaving her spinning cartoonishly before following Twi into the tower.

"Where's my room?"

"All of you guys' rooms are down the hall from mine-yours is closest to mine." Rainbow Dash's heart fluttered at this, and she wasn't sure why. Rainbow Dash crept into her room, collapsing on the bed, followed by Twilight in a tired stumble as she entered her own room.

Glancing around the room, Twilight wondered why it was so dark. Twilight sighed as she magically ignitied the candles and lamps strewed around the room. Although there was lighting, Twilight preferred the flickering light of candles. Glancing around, she sighed before falling on to her bed. Magically lifting the covers, she crept under them and smiled, her eyes flickering shut as she did.


Dawn


Twilight awoke as sunlight streamed barely through the window, and she leaped up from her bed. Running to the far side of her room, she ended up on the balcony. Sitting down, she closed her eyes and carefully nudged the moon past the horizon. Her eyes flickered open, and she turned to the opposing horizon, glad to see the sun rising without any problems. She was about to go awaken her friends when she remembered most sane ponies were still asleep. Stretching, she decided to search the "Princess Side" of the castle. There was a large "wing" to the Princesses, though it expanded across several levels. The bedrooms were located in the top, surrounded by guards, and she smiled as she clambered down the stairs.

In all, there was ten floors excluding the basement, the bedrooms composing the top floor. As she arrived on the ninth floor, she was shocked. It appeared to simply be a large dining area, though a third of it was divided off, most likely the kitchen. She heard sounds from it, but ignored them. Glancing around, Twilight decided there was nothing of great importance and clambered down the stairs to the eighth level. This one was Twilight's heaven. All of the walls were made of bookshelves, several desks arranged in a square, though none touching, around the center. The middle itself was composed off soft carpeting, a beautiful light lavender. Though she wished she could stay there, Twilight reminded herself she had several other floors to explore.

"What if..." Twilight pondered aloud to herself, then closed her eyes and imagined herself on the stairs. All the stairs were the same, making it easy to teleport. After all, teleporting required knowing where you were going. "Whoa!" Twilight exclaimed as she appeared on the steps, and she finished going down them, arriving below a sign marked "Seven" in bold  writing. Once again, the sight was breathtaking. Here, in the center of a castle, was a garden. The walls were made of glass, the floor coated in grass save the stone path. Following it, she was shocked by the number of flowers here. Many of them were believed to be extinct, at least in the books she had read. She was about to leave when she saw a small shed to her right. Turning down a small dirt path, she knocked lightly on the shed door, the wooden texture lost to the metalworking of her Regalia.

"Come in," welcomed an aged voice, and Twilight magically opened the door, shocked at what she saw. The floor itself was another part of the garden, and the shed was simply a small, one roomed home. A wooden rocking chair sat to the side, an elderly pony rocking in it. His white hair was done in a wispy comb-over, and his very light brown body was coated in wrinkles that could put Granny Smith to shame. A wooden cane sat next to him, carved with unreadable markings.

"Hello, Mister..."

"I'm Green Hoof-named for my skill with plants. And you are?"

"I'm the new princess, Twilight Sparkle. I replaced Luna a few days ago."

"Ahhhh." Green Hoof sighed and shifted in his chair, his joints creaking loudly as he did so. "Well welcome to The Royal Gardens."

"Aren't the gardens... on the ground the Royal Gardens?"

"They are the Public Royal Gardens. These are simply for the Princess' use. I tend to them, you know." Twilight grinned inadvertently, and Green Hoof nodded slowly. "There's not much to show you, but have a look-see."

"Thank you, sir." Twilight magically opened the door once again, walking down the dirt path before continuing on the looping route of stone through the gardens. She finished off the loop quickly and headed back to the stairs, clambering down them. The next two floors were empty, though they appeared to have once been a foal's playroom. The fourth floor was... interesting.

It was dark and stone, the walls lined with armor, mostly alicorn-sized. A single wall was dedicated to normal-pony sized armor, and it all appeared to be quite ancient. Spears and swords took up a fair amount of the room, while helmets took another, some specifically unicorn-made to have covering for the horn.

"It's... interesting. I'll have to come back," decided Twilight Sparkle before leaving the floor. Her hooves followed a smooth rhythm down the white, marble staircase, and she followed the lights hanging on the wall with her eyes, counting twenty-one before getting to where the next floor should be. However, the stairs simply continued and Twilight pressed on, following the same rhythm. She finally arrived at the second floor, though a sign stated "Second and Third Level" in an elegant, loose writing.

The room was definitely worth the long flights of stairs. Inside was an incredibly tall room, the ground padded with mats that were good to fall on, but stable enough to walk on. Clouds formed near the top, and upon Twilight's testing, were stable enough to stand on. It was a flight practice room. There were weights with special attachments for wings to the side, as well as other wing-exercise tools. There was no pony in the room, but a counter was in a corner, with a sign stating they had shoes for walking on the mats. Twilight smiled, making a mental note to show Rainbow Dash, before leaving, heading towards the final level before the basement, which was merely a storage room. Inside, she saw there was a door that led to the main part of the castle, and the walls were filled with windows, but not as much as the garden. What was more shocking was to see Luna sitting in the large bowl that filled the center of the room, chatting with a pony who had a hoof file as her cutie mark. Upon seeing Twilight, Luna stopped their conversation, turning towards her daughter.

"Hello, Princess!" Smiled Luna, waving for Twilight to join her. Twilight complied, slowly descending the smooth stairs. As her first hoof entered, she moaned. The water was literally perfect. She emerged slowly, swimming towards Luna. "How are you, my dear?" Inquired Luna with a grin as the other pony filed away at Luna's hooves. "This is Cinnamon-she's the spa attendant here."

"Spa?" Inquired Twilight, impressed.

"Yes, the castle has a spa. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Indeed," agreed Twilight, resisting the temptation to moan once again.

"Isn't the water lovely?" Added Luna, sinking back into it slightly.

"Oh, oh yes," agreed Twilight, before Celestia burst in.

"What are you doing, Twilight!" Celestia's voice shook through Twilight's bones, and Luna resisted a whimper.

"I-I was exploring the castle," whispered Twilight like a reprimanded schoolfilly.

"You are supposed to be learning! I go to your room to look for you, and see no pony there! I have guards looking all over for you!"

"I think I am fully able to tour the castle myself, Princess," replied Twilight hotly, spitting the last word.

"Not while I'm in charge!" Yelled Celestia as Twilight leaped out of the pool, storming past Celestia and teleporting up to her room. Flopping on the bed once again, she glanced out the window to see a storm forming as she fell asleep once again.
> Melding the Crowns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight awoke late in the afternoon, dried tears coating her face. Blinking rapidly, the blurriness vanished to reveal her friends standing around her. She slowly sat up, stretching her wings and legs as she did, then crawled out of bed.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong, Twilight?" Pinkie's voice was accompanied with dull thumps, most likely the pink mare prancing on the bed.

"Celestia. I don't know why, but there's something off about her. She-she's been so grumpy lately, and she's not acting normal." With that statement, Twilight began pacing, her friends standing to the side and watching with mingled expressions of curiosity and confusion.

"Well, sugarcube, how's she actin' so diff'r'nt?" Applejack's accent was comforting, and Twilight relaxed slightly, sitting down at her desk.

"Well, take yes-um, this morning for example. I was exploring the castle, and when she found me, she was really, really angry that I wasn't in my room. As if she needed me to be there for something..." Twilight was scribbling magically until Spike tugged gently on her mane.

"Would you like me to-"

"Spike, take some notes," replied Twilight, a small gleam in her eye.

"Yes ma'am!" grinned Spike with a mock salute before jumping up into the chair Twilight had just been in.

"Princess Celestia has been acting grumpy and angry lately. Seems upset I'm not in my room. Coat was greyer," added Twilight, recalling the small tidbit from the morning. "Wait, greyer! You don't think..."

"I sincerely doubt it, Twilight dear. And besides, why would he pull the same trick?" Rarity was pacing as well, her mane bobbing with each step.

"Okay then, there has to be something... Wait!" Exclaimed Twilight once again, stopping the pacing. "What if there's some sort of spell here? It's a long shot, but..." Twilight sat down, her wings flaring out as if she was about to raise the moon. Her eyes closed, her horn began glowing the familiar pale, glittering magenta. Twilight began looking about the room, seeing with her horn. She saw the normal lines of magic, such as the electricity, each pony's natural glow, etc. But then she saw a dark line, running along the door, ceiling, and to her bed. Snapping out of the spell, she was shaking, quickly met by a tight hug from Fluttershy.

"What did you see?" Asked Fluttershy, her voice quiet, even for her.

"I-it's not safe here. I'm going to teleport you guys out, one at a time. I'll start with you, Fluttershy. But first, I'm going to make you invisible. Just for safety. I'm going to teleport you to Luna's room, okay? But let me go check it first." Twilight was rambling, but she closed her eyes, picturing Luna's room. She opened her eyes to see the room, and it appeared normal. Closing her eyes once again, she tested the same spell she had done in her room. There was no dangers to be seen, so she teleported back to her room, not even fazed at the effort.

"Where were you?" Asked Spike, but Twilight ignored him. She quickly cast a light vanishing spell on Fluttershy, and it worked, much to Twilight's shock.

"Grab my arm, Fluttershy," commanded Twilight, and she was met with light pressure on her forearm. Closing her eyes, she pictured Luna's room, and appeared there moments later. Removing the spell from Fluttershy, she saw the yellow pegasus was shaking, her eyes shut. "It's okay," sighed Twilight soothingly. "I'm going to put a protective spell on you, okay? It might tingle for a minute." She closed her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon, and within a few minutes, Fluttershy was encompassed in a nearly invisible bubble. "I'll be right back," added Twilight, teleporting back to her room.

She repeated the teleportation with everypony, all letting them into Fluttershy's "bubble". They were all nervous, until Twilight began explaining.

"There's some sort of dark spell in my room, leading right to my bed. Luna's room is free of this for now, and I think she may be able to help us. I want all of you to stay here, I'm going to look for her."

"Be safe, alright Twilight?" Rainbow Dash's warning was lost, as Twilight had already teleported back down to the spa. Luna sat, her hooves still being filed, until Twilight ran into her, pulling angrily on her mane.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" Asked Luna, her eyes filled with concern.

"Teleport back to your room, now!" Luna nodded, excusing herself from the mare and teleporting up to her room, followed by Twilight anxiously. They flickered in, and both saw the protective spell surrounding the others.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" Repeated Luna, even more worried.

"There's some sort of dark spell in my room, and I had to get these guys out. Your room is safe for now, but I don't know who did it, or how. What do I do?"

"I'm not sure," whispered Luna, sitting down. Twilight gently nudged the spell to encompass Luna as well, though Fluttershy stayed away from her, still wary of the Nightmare Moon incident. Without warning, Celestia barged in, the door nearly falling off its hinges.

"Congratulations, Twilight! You've finished the final test. You are now ready to become Princess!"

"What?" Exclaimed Twilight, jumping up confusedly.

"You're crowning will be tonight, at dusk. You will set the sun and raise the moon after I give you my Regalia. Now, I have preparations to make, so have a good day."

"What?" Asked Twilight again, dejectedly.

"I'm not sure Twilight, but I'm going back to the spa to try and figure this out." Luna flickered out, and Twilight nodded slowly. Looking out the window, she saw there was maybe an hour left until dusk, and she flopped onto the ground, staring at her friends.

"What's going on?" Her friends had no answer, but Spike did.

"Well, Twilight, maybe you could look if up?" Spike honestly didn't think there'd be anything in books, but he knew reading would get Twilight mind off of things.

"Of course!" Exclaimed Twilight, a smile reappearing on her face. "Girls, stay here!" Closing her eyes, she imagined the wooden "Seven" sign and appeared there, pushing open the door with a grin. She began scanning through the shelves, searching for any book on alicorns.


Celestia


Celestia was pacing angrily in her room, scowling and muttering to herself. Of course, giving Twilight the crown now would speed up her plan, but was it worth it? Her thoughts were interrupted by a small cough.

"What is it, Green Hoof?" Snapped Celestia, her eyes filled with rage.

"You said I'd be paid for getting you that plant," whispered Green Hoof, fear evident in his voice.

"This payment enough for you?" Hissed Celestia, grabbing him and teleporting down to the prison. Throwing him hastily in a cell, she teleported out, leaving him alone in the darkness.

Back in her room, Celestia resumed her pacing when an idea struck her. Smiling much wider than was natural, Celestia left the room and headed down a long flight of stairs.


Twilight Sparkle


Twilight finished another book and magically threw it in anger. There was nothing about creepy Princesses at all! Glancing out at the window, she saw she had mere minutes until the crowning ceremony, and she teleported up to her room. Brushing her mane quickly, she teleported back down to the front door. Celestia stood there, waiting with a grin on her face.

"Hello, Twilight," smiled Celestia kindly, and Twilight grinned back.

"Hello, Princess." Twilight's nervousness echoed in her words, but any and all thoughts were cut short as the doors were magically thrown open. Walking numbly towards the platform, Celestia stood next to her with an extremely large grin.

"Welcome, citizens of Equestria! We are gathered here today to watch as Princess Twilight Sparkle becomes sole ruler of Equestria!" The crowd stood from its bowed position, and Twilight resisted the temptation to gnaw at her hooves.

"Thank you Princess Celestia," declared Twilight, levitating slightly to receive the final regalia. Spotting her friends in the crowd, she briefly waved before Celestia began her spell.

"Sim potens solis obscurat aeternum!" Twilight blinked slowly, confused. Wasn't the spell different, and longer? Looking back at the sun, she saw it had completely disappeared, blackened out by some unseeable magic.

"Where's Luna?" Asked Twilight in a quivering voice as the rest of the crowd screamed in tower.

"Oh, she couldn't make it," smiled Celestia sweetly as she began to change. Her body became a bright, blinding white, and her regalia transformed as well. The crown became a dull, dark silver, the gems disappearing. The necklace transformed simply to a dull silver with a bright white sun emblazoned on it. The hoof covers elongated, stretching up the majority of Celestia's legs.

"No!" Yelled Twilight, recognizing what was happening. Celestia was no longer dear Celly, but Terror Sun! She had read rumors of it earlier, merely in a children's book, but now it was true. Celestia had become evil. "Girls, grab on," commanded Twilight, and Spike did as well, leaping to Twilight's back as they teleported away.

They arrived in the spa where Luna had been, but what Twilight saw there was unforgettable. The water was a deep red, all from two bodies. Princess Luna and the spa attendant lay floating in the pool, eyes filled with terror. On the wall, spelled with a red, dripping substance, read two words.

"I'm Coming," read Twilight in a dull tone. "She killed my mom." With those words, what had happened sunk in, and Twilight whirled around in rage. "Girls, do you know what we need to do?"

"Yes, Twilight," chimed the five other ponies, followed by a hesitant Spike. They lined up as Twilight marched past them, handing out commands left and right.

"Applejack, I need you to begin a resistance. Recruit as many followers of Luna as you can, have them meet on the second floor of this tower. Rainbow Dash, you will guard there- armor is available fourth floor. All of you, get some armor. Fluttershy, stay on the second floor as well, Rainbow Dash will protect you. If you can, rally any animals from the garden. You'll find it somewhere here in the tower-have Pinkie accompany you. Rarity, help hand out armor to any recruits Applejack can get. I'm going to get armor myself, and get as many guards as I can to guard this tower."

"And me?" The others had already ran off, but Spike remained, attempting to be brave.

"You can help Rarity," decided Twilight, and he ran up the stairs after her. "Now then," smiled Twilight, "Celestia's going to get it."

Twilight had dragged the bodies out of the pool, and now was in the armor gallery, as Rarity tried to find her something lightweight but strong.

"Perhaps-no, maybe-I doubt it..." Rarity's indecisiveness was only encouraged by Spike running back and forth between her and the wall of armor.

"Just pick one!" Snapped Twilight, and Rarity took a step back.

"Okay! Try this one!" The armor wasn't too impressive, a simple silver, but it molded itself to fit Twilight perfectly.

"Thanks," cried Twilight over her shoulder, having already ran off towards where her brother was stationed.


At Shining Armor's Station


"Shining Armor!" Cried Twilight, and Shining Armor turned towards the corridor his sister was tearing down.

"What is it Twily?"

"All of you, come with me," declared an exhausted Twilight Sparkle, running back towards the tower. They didn't spot any problems, and arrived quickly. "Shining Armor, guard here with Rainbow Dash. The rest of you, go guard somewhere on the tower. No pony except me, my friends, and anypony Applejack has with her gets near this tower. Permission to kill or fatally injure, understood?"

The guards stared in shock for a moment, then saluted together before flying/running off to different doorways. Twilight grinned momentarily before bursting into the room where Fluttershy and Pinkie waited. Of course, they weren't alone. About one hundred animals were in the room as well, hopping along and nibbling on carrots Pinkie continued to produce out of no where. Nodding once, Twilight ran out again, saluting briefly to Rainbow Dash before running off to find more guards.

A/N: This chapter was only 2,037 words, and I apologize. I am right on track for my goal of at least 30,000 words though, so it's all good. The next two chapters will be quite climactic, followed by an aftermath chapter and an epilogue. Comment away!