//------------------------------// // 23 The Landing // Story: Errant Finale // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// “Huh,” Rainbow Dash says as Twilight Sparkle struggles to her hooves, only being helped a little (picked up and held entirely) by Doug. “Not even a broken wing? Color me impressed. Where do I get one of those fancy helmets?” “Bwuh?” responds Twilight, peeling the dented (completely collapsed) helmet from her head. She groans, slowly coming to. Behind her, Cerberus quiets down, sated. His heads loll over, collapsing to the ground and snoring softly. In Ponyville, panicking ponies peek past protective palisades, peering at the Princesses. Pinkie Pie pronks positively, passively pacifying perturbed ponies. “I think what Rainbow Dash is trying to say, darling,” Rarity says, a beaming smile on her face as she stares in awe at Twilight’s wings, restraining herself from running her hooves through the thick feathers, “is that you are an alicorn? A… if I am not mistaken, a Princess?” The herd holds their collective breaths as Twilight wobbles a little. Her head sways back and forth as her eyes focus on Celestia and Luna. Or, rather, at their hooves, then their manes, then back to their hooves. “Thou art correct, Generosity,” Luna states royally, offering a low bow. “Well,” Rarity says, her voice catching as she coyly strokes one hoof against her foreleg, stealing a glance at Applejack and the remains of what used to be a fancy hat. “While this started out as a terrible dream, now I’m afraid to wake up, and learn that it was, in fact, a dream.” “We can assure thou, that this is no dream.” Luna smiles broadly at Rarity, then at Twilight. The purple alicorn has recovered just enough to stand by herself, swaying a little. “That’s… that’s exactly what dream Luna would say!” shouts Rarity, nearly hysterical. “No! Don’t let me wake up! That would be the true Nightmare!” “No!” Rarity swings her head back and forth. “No, Rarity, you are better than that! More than just a small town seamstress and dressmaker!” She slaps herself across the face, hard. It snaps her head to the side, leaving her gaping at the ground, feeling like Twilight looks. “Better?” Doug asks dryly. Rarity sits there, stunned, before her smile beams larger than Pinkie Pie’s. “It’s not a dream!” She spins, embracing Twilight, finding it slightly awkward with the alicorn who went from the same height to a few inches taller. “You really are a Princess!” “That she is,” Celestia warmly smiles as the rest of the herd joins Rarity. “For she has learned well the lessons of Friendship from every one of you. And proven that she is ready.” Except her eyes cannot help but betray an unsure, almost accusatory flick to Luna. Luna merely returns a neutral gaze, unreadable as the white moon above. “Weddy?” Twilight says, mashed up against all the ponies. “A splendid idea, if I may say so myself,” Celestia whispers with a wink, barely loud enough for the mares to hear, “but perhaps I will save the formal request until you have had time to adjust.” Applejack gasps, stepping away from Twilight. Her green eyes trace over every inch of the white alicorn, then notes a similar pleasant smile on Luna. She gulps as the other mares of the herd also step away, trading worried and excited looks. “But now is not the time for such weighty matters.” Celestia’s gaze strays to the Ponyvillians who have started coming out of the town, lining up and bowing. Her voices raises, addressing everypony. “Twilight Sparkle has proven that she is ready to fulfill her destiny.” Celestia grandly motions at the mares beside her. “For she has displayed the Altruism-” Rarity regally steps forward, bowing low. “-Benevolence-” Fluttershy timidly joins Rarity, smiling broadly. “-Command-” Twilight steps forward this time, slightly hesitantly, then standing proud. “-Dedication-” Rainbow Dash leaps forward, standing tall with her chest puffed out. “-Enthusiasm-” Pinkie Pie pronks up, landing next in line. “-and Forthrightness-” Applejack grins, tipping her hat as she steps up. “-of a true Princess.” Celestia smiles down, eyes sparkling with pride. “Does… does this mean that I won’t be your student any more?” asks Twilight, her voice a painfully scared whisper. Yet, judging by the reactions of everypony, she was loud enough for all to hear. A solemn look crosses Celestia’s face as she nods. “You will not be my student, not the way you were before, but I will always be there to help and guide you.” She nuzzles Twilight, hiding her smirk at her former student’s nervousness. “You are an inspiration to us all, Twilight Sparkle; I think you will find that we are all your students, now.” “...Why?” Twilight says cautiously, her voice squeaking. “What do I do now?” She glances back to the library, then towards Canterlot. “Is there a book I can read on this?” “You are welcome to my journals,” Celestia says, “but I’m afraid that will have to wait until later. After all, we will need to hurry to Canterlot if we wish to make the dawn celebration!” “Dawn celebration?” Rarity asks, a quizzical cock to her head. “Whatever for?” “Why, to celebrate Twilight’s coronation as Princess, of course,” Celestia replies with a wink at the seamstress. “I trust you have dresses for everypony already made for the occasion, yes?” Rarity faints, Applejack and Fluttershy barely catching her. Pinkie Pie cheers, shouting, “Alicorn Party!!” as she rides through the air, somehow having made a makeshift swing out of discarded branches and Applejack’s rope. The Elements of Harmony gather around Rarity’s fallen body, cheering and shouting; they are quickly joined by the ebullient crowd. Damage from the storm and Cerberus are forgotten, especially as they partake in Pinkie Pie’s procured party products. Trixie looks somewhat awkward, even as Pinkie Pie slaps a party hat onto her horn and slips the loop under her muzzle. Starlight gets one as well, looking positively neutral about the entire ordeal. Trixie quickly recovers, though, her own brand of fireworks and explosions joining Pinkie Pie’s. Doug seems to be the only creature not enjoying himself, managing to slink away before a slightly confused Pinkie Pie can stick a hat on him. He sits on the north side of the library, opposite the party and as far away from the noise as he can get without going into the woods. Starlight follows him, her glum look of boredom matching his melancholy. Rarity recovers, eventually, and press-gangs Fluttershy into helping her finalize the dresses for the upcoming celebration. Twilight is an especially high priority, getting her larger wings fitted and comfortable. The party roars in full swing, and looks to be staying that way until morning. And with Applejack returning with a wagonload of refreshments? The hard cider disappears particularly quickly, even a cask of their Reserve divvied up among the herd. “So,” Starlight says to Doug as the festivities rage on, “I don’t, um, suppose you mind laying low with me?” Doug shrugs, his mind elsewhere. Starlight lays down, about an arms reach away. A few long seconds pass, Starlight furtively glancing back at her cutie mark every few seconds. “Didn’t know it was like this,” she says, peeking back at the outskirts of the party. The Crusaders, having gotten their hooves on some of the cider, are being chased by an irate Applejack. “So… exuberant.” “It’s not,” Doug spits out, clenching his teeth against saying more. He takes a few long breaths. “Pinkie Pie generally keeps her parties more… contained. Sometimes it’ll involve the whole town, sure. But not normally.” He sighs, resting his elbows on his knees as he stares at nothing in particular. “I suppose you’ll have to get used to a new normal,” Starlight smirks, though her joviality runs out almost instantly. She scooches forwards, her side now resting against Doug’s leg. Doug nods, slowly. “I guess you might have to do the same, huh?” “What?” Starlight says, her mouth hanging open slightly. “You mean with my cutie mark?” “Sure, that. And having to watch those three.” Doug points at Applejack, who has somehow tied herself to a tree, slurring her shouts and vague threats at the Crusaders. “Much as they want to think of themselves as adults, they are a handful. Hooffull. You thought about what it’s going to be like?” Starlight shrugs. “Eh. I’ll have others who can share in the responsibilities. That’s what we’re all about in Our Town! Sharing!” She giggles, then sighs, unable to keep up her cheery mood. “Plus, they’ll be in school a lot. Maybe I’ll even put them to work as teachers.” “You have a school?” Doug asks, glancing towards the schoolhouse. If Ponyville had one school, with one teacher for dozens of foals, what would theirs be like? “EEA accredited and everything.” Starlight shrugs, then motions to her belly. "Missing a lot of younger foals, but hopefully this works and all." “Yeah, I guess. Still, it sounds like inmates and asylums to me.” Doug smirks as he takes another long breath. “I guess, I was talking more about if they’re successful. You started Our Town as a place for lost souls, or to give those who were struggling with their cutie marks a place to be. Do you still feel like you belong?” “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, was a place to belong.” Starlight shrugs, before abjectly hanging her head. “I don’t know if it was the cutie mark, or that they always looked up to me. I mean, I was good at running things. Better than they were, at least. Especially after, you know.” Starlight mimes ripping something away with her head. “But I was never able to open up to them, and tell them about my fears and problems. I always felt like I had to be perfect in their eyes. Because if I wasn’t, if I wasn’t any better than they were, then why would they follow me?” “So much for being equals,” Doug says with a contrite, forced smile. Starlight merely nods. “I wanted to be. Sometimes. If it wasn’t necessary, and ponies are able to return to their homes? I’ll probably come back here. As good a place as any, especially if I’m dragging a foal with me. You want a unicorn to brood for you?” Doug looks away, wishing he had something to drink. He lets out a heavy sigh at Starlight’s continued stare. “If that’s what you want.” “You’re too passive,” Starlight says, lightly thwacking Doug’s leg with a hoof. “Sometimes, when you see something you want, you just need to take it.” She playfully growls, and the mock baring of her teeth makes her look adorable. “Oh, yeah?” Doug says with a lascivious grin, hand reaching across to grip Starlight’s flank opposite him, pulling the bemused mare tightly against him. “Hey, save the frisky stuff for when I’m in heat,” Starlight says, sticking her tongue out slightly. “Speaking of heat,” Doug says jovially as Celestia and Luna approach. “What can I do for you?” Starlight blanches as the two Princesses approach, desperately trying to appear as if she wasn’t just about to have a roll in the hay with the Princesses’ supposed Consort. At least, that’s what the gossip at the train station was; the events of the Grand Galloping Gala hadn’t reached Our Town, but they were still ablaze everywhere else ponies mingled. Celestia stares at Starlight for a few seconds, yet her eyes appear to be focused elsewhere. She finally says, “Starlight Glimmer. A pleasure to meet you.” “...Princess Celestia.” Starlight bows her head slightly. “Perhaps I’ll just leave the three of you alone?” “If that is what you wish. We merely wanted to see how our favorite human was holding up.” Celestia softly smiles at Doug. “We are glad to see you doing better.” “Yes,” Luna agrees as Starlight gets up and canters back to the party. “Does thou wish to talk?” Doug grits his teeth, finding himself looking away from the Princesses and trying to control his anger. "I guess I probably should."