“So what’s it like?” I asked as we walked down the halls to the archives.
“What’s what like?” Sunset asked, nodding to a few guards as they saluted her.
“Raising the Sun, ruling Equestria by day,” I said. “Being an Alicorn?”
She sighed. “I hate it, sometimes, to be honest,” she said. “I want things to be like they were, with Celestia and Luna in charge and Twilight able to be carefree like she used to be. I want to be able to sit down and play music with my friends like I did a century and more ago. But these wings shackle me, and I have a responsibility to the throne, just as Twilight does.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” she said with another sigh. “Celestia transferred most of her power to me and Luna encapsulated her power in her regalia before heading out, so anypony that took over for her would have become Princess of the Night.”
“Do you ever visit our friends across the mirror?” I asked.
Sadness flashed across her eyes, and I realized how insensitive the question was.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly.
“No,” she said, sniffing. “It’s ok. To you, it’s only been a few weeks since you visited. I’ve had to forgive a lot worse in my time.” She raised her head and shook out her mane, the sparkling brilliance in it more evident as we entered the dim archives. “I did for a while, but after a while, seeing them get older when I didn’t, it started to hurt too much. Correspondence to their families lasted for a while, but now even that’s petered out. I doubt there’s even enough magic over there now to power the journals.”
I blinked slowly. Out of all the ponies I had ever met, I had felt a closer connection to her than anypony next to Trixie. We were former villains, student’s of Twilight Sparkle, heroes by necessity.
“What do you think?” she asked softly. “Do I sound bitter?”
“No,” I said. “You sound like Twilight does; sad. Like you were able to move on until I came along and mucked up the stall.”
“Starlight,” she said. “No, that isn’t it at all. Yes, it hurt when I started to see my friends pass on, but we never gave up hope that you would wake up. Yeah, maybe I got caught up in duties along the way, but you’re still my friend, and I’m glad you’re ok now.”
“Heh,” I snickered wryly. “Stuck out of time, but I’m all right.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know this world anymore, Sunset. How am I supposed to do anything?”
“Is that why you’re looking for the most recent maps?” the Solar Diarch asked me.
“Partially, yes,” I answered. “One of Trixie’s descendants has offered to go with me to help catch me up on what might have changed socially, but I really just need to see the things that have changed. Put some miles under my hooves.”
She nodded and stopped in front of a large printed map of Equestria. I looked at it, awed by the change in the land of my birth. Canterlot was now sprawled across the mountainside, Ponyville, where it hadn’t rated more than a dot in my time, was now a good-sized city. Cloudsdale was missing, but I knew of many maps that didn’t count the Pegasi cloud-cities since they tended to migrate.
My eyes automaticaly scanned north, at the little vale where the village I had started had been nestled. There was the marking for a hamlet, indicating that it had grown to something slightly larger than Ponyville had been while I had slept.
“For everything that’s different,” Sunset said. “A lot is the same. The School for Gifted Unicorns still runs, Cadence still rules in the Crystal Kingdom, and Ponyville is still there.” She smiled. “You should go see the Princess there. You might find it a pleasant surprise.”
“Princess?” I asked. “But Twilight is here in Canterlot.”
Sunset just smiled serenely as she shook her head. “She’s not the resident princess anymore, Starlight,” she said as she turned. “You’re welcome to make copies of any of the maps you want. I’ll see if I can find an archivist to help you find anything you need. It was good to see you again, Starlight.”
“You too, Sunset,” I whispered. “I won’t be long.”
“I should hope not,” she said before walking away. “After all, the longer roads always pull you towards home eventually.”
“You got to meet with the Princess!?” Echo said as we walked to the train station. “What was she like? Is her mane really made of fire?”
I looked at the younger mare. Heh, younger, I thought. That encompasses pretty much everypony except Celestia and the Princesses, now.
“She’s just a regular pony with a lot of responsibilities,” I said. “And her mane wasn’t made of fire as far as I could tell.”
The mare shuffled her hooves as we waited in a queue for tickets.
“So,” she drawled. “Where are we going first?”
“Ponyville,” I said. “I want to see what used to be home before we go anywhere else.”
“Ooh!” Echo squealed. “I’ve always wanted to see the castle there. I hope the Princess of Joy is in when we get there.”
Princess of Joy? Just how much did I miss out on?