//------------------------------// // Chapter 197: Big News in Canterlot // Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Despite what had happened with Cozy Glow, Shining had learned from experience that life goes on one way or another. It wasn't easy for everyone to settle back into a routine, but as time went by Cozy's sacrifice lost a bit of its sting. The students at Twilight's school had other things to worry about, as did Shining and his friends. Weeks flew by, the semester drew to a close, and finals were taken and graded in what seemed like the blink of an eye. And before anyone was truly ready it was time for summer vacation. Some students were glad to be free from studying and longed to go back home or to partake in their favorite pastimes. But for the six students who had been tested personally by the Tree of Harmony and had aided in liberating Cozy Glow from Tirek's influence, summer vacation was a bittersweet thing for them. "I'm gonna miss having you guys around," Sandbar commented as he stood on the platform at the Ponyville train station. "Promise you'll write back to me every day, or at least every week! I wanna stay in the know about everything!" Smolder waved a claw. "No promises. Not a whole lot really happens in the dragon lands anymore. I'll probably just check on my brother but that's about it." Ocellus just shyly stated. "I'll probably be asked to share everything I learned. You know, since Headmare Twilight said I'm such a model student and all." Gallus, for his part, just sighed. Truth be told he wasn't really thrilled to go back to Griffonstone, but he'd passed his classes (somehow) so there was no justification for him to hang around Ponyville. "You aced every once of your classes, Ocellus. Me... I'm lucky I didn't get held back a grade. Still, I suppose that'll be good enough for Grandpa Gruff." Just then, the familiar form of Gilda appeared in the sky above and she quickly landed on the platform. "Hey, you don't worry about him anymore, kiddo. He made me your guardian, and whenever I'm not available Gabby's the one in charge," She lightly nudged him with a claw. "Now come on! We've got a long flight ahead of us. But you'll see, Griffonstone's finally starting to be a nice place to live in again." Gallus quickly followed her lead as the two griffons took off into the sky and soon disappeared from sight. Thorax and Ember showed up a short time later for Ocellus and Smolder respectively, both of whom just waved goodbye as they weren't the best at saying it. Silverstream was the next to depart, largely at the request of Terramar who had already boarded. "Come on, sis. Mom and Dad are expecting us home before sundown. If we miss this train the next one's not for two hours!" Silverstream reluctantly stepped aboard. "Ooh, there's so many things I just started to learn about! I can't wait to share them all with our seapony cousins!" She happily chirped. "Though I'm not sure how to describe indoor plumbing like sinks and showers. It all involves water and being wet, and seaponies have that all the time." Terramar just shook his head. "We'll worry about that later. Now come on, the train's about to leave!" He waited impatiently as his sister fully entered the train car he occupied, the doors closing but a moment later. With a puff of steam and a blowing of the whistle, the train pulled out of the station and was soon gone. Now only Sandbar and Yona were alone on the platform. Truth be told the two had felt a stronger connection to each other than any of their other friends, though neither had commented on or given much thought to it. Likely they would've gone on not discussing it or anything else if not for the arrival of the train bound for Yakyakistan. Which meant it was time for Yona to leave. Just before Yona boarded the train, Sandbar reached out a hoof to her. "Yona, wait! There's something I want to tell you! Something I... probably should've told you sooner!" Yona only giggled. "Sandbar not need to say it, Yona know. Yona like Sandbar too. Sandbar Yona's very best friend! Her pony pal!" "Oh, yeah... that... that was what I meant to say too," Sandbar declared even as his cheeks blushed a bit. "I'd totally go with you to Yakyakistan but uh... my cousin Featherbangs is coming to pick me up a little later, and I don't think my parents would approve of me changing my plans so suddenly." "Sandbar welcome in Yakyakistan anytime! Yona write to Sandbar every day, promise!" Yona insisted. "But for now, Yona go back to Yakyakistan and talk with prince. Prince want to know how well Yona fit in with ponies." And with that she stepped aboard, and the train she was on departed soon afterward. Sandbar watched as the train carried Yona further and further from sight, and when it had disappeared he reluctantly trotted away. "I was so close to telling her how I really felt. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait until school starts up again in the fall." He thought to himself. Miles and miles away, at the School of Friendship, Twilight was in the process of locking up the building for the summer. She knew she'd have to eventually settle on a lesson plan for when classes resumed in the fall, but for a few weeks she was free to enjoy life without any personal worries. Shining Armor happened to be on hoof during this time. Since the events with Cozy Glow he'd spoken very little and had mostly resumed his duties in the Crystal Empire without much fanfare. Not since the aftermath of his wedding had anypony seen him look so unhappy. "B.B.B.F.F?" Twilight questioned him directly. "Is everything okay? You still thinking about Cozy Glow?" Shining sighed in a somber tone. "I've been trying not to. I know it doesn't do any good to dwell on the past, as both you and Starlight will attest even though we can change it we may not necessarily should change it. But all the same I can't help but wonder if there was more I could've done. Something that I could've said or did to save Cozy sooner, without having to free Tirek or without her having to basically give up her life to save the Tree of Harmony." Twilight put a hoof around her older brother, pulling him close. "You're not the only one who should be racked with guilt. Cozy Glow was my student, my protege. I tried to do for her what you did for Starlight Glimmer. If anything I should've sensed sooner that she was hiding something from me and questioned her on it. But there are other students who depend on me to be their headmare. Just because I don't tutor them one on one doesn't mean they're less special." "I know that. And I know that what happened with Cozy Glow doesn't have to define me anymore than my other failures. Even Celestia and Luna aren't perfect," Shining paused as he wiped a lone tear from his eye. "It just doesn't seem right, though. That a child should have to give up everything because I failed to protect her when it mattered most. Because I failed to see the warning signs until it was too late. I should've been the one sacrificing himself to save the Tree of Harmony, not Cozy Glow." Twilight reared back and slapped her brother across the face with a hoof. "Don't you EVER start thinking about stuff like that, B.B.B.F.F! I already twice feared I had lost you: First to Chrysalis and then to that untested, incomplete spell! And that was before all the other accomplishments, all the other ponies who entered your life! What happened with Cozy Glow was unfortunate, but we owe it to her and to ourselves to soldier on! The best way to honor her memory is to keep doing our part to protect the harmony of this realm." The prince sighed very slowly. The slap hadn't really stung but it had definitely left an impact in his mind. "I guess you're right, Twily. I know that if anything ever happened to me I'd want everyone around me to keep going about their lives, honoring my memory and keeping up the good fight. It's only fitting I practice what I preach and be there for those who still need me. Like Flurry Heart." "She's growing up so fast," Twilight commented. "Seems like only yesterday she met her Auntie Twily for the first time." "Yeah, now she's in the terrible twos. And now I know why they call them that. I guess I owe Mom and Dad an apology, I was probably even more of a trouble maker than Flurry Heart is," Shining giggled. "I mean, I'm practically famous in the Sparkle family for what I did as a toddler." But before the conversation could proceeded any further, Spike happened to come up to the two with a scroll clenched in his claws. "Got a message for you, Shining. Straight from the princesses themselves." Shining levitated the scroll out of Spike's grasp. He quickly unfolded it and read it to himself. When he'd finished he dropped the scroll immediately. "I've got to get the guys! It says to come to Canterlot right away! Knowing the princesses, it must be urgent!" Shining quickly went about rounding up all of his friends, the six stallions soon rushing to Canterlot after Shining teleported them to the outskirts. "Did they say why they want us to come?" Soarin asked Shining as they kept on running. With a shake of his head Shining answered. "No, they didn't give a reason. It seemed oddly casual for some reason. But it can't be casual, if it was they would've probably waited to tell me themselves." "Think maybe we're finally gettin' somethin' besides just some stain glass window displays in the castle? Like that big party we got when we defeated Discord?" Braeburn pondered. "Seems a little odd they'd wanna have one now, but Pa always said 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth' or somethin' like that." "I'm sure the princesses have their reasons. Perhaps they fear that the message would be intercepted, hence why it was so vague," Fancy Pants commented. "Or maybe even they don't know what we're up against." Thunderlane gulped nervously. "I sure hope not. And I sure hope it's not another one of those long forgotten threats rearing his or her ugly head. They always seem to come just when things are at their most peaceful, like the universe has a twisted sense of humor." "Whatever it is, we're about to find out! I can see the castle gates just up ahead, y'all!" Big Macintosh gestured a hoof as the six stallions approached. The guards that stood at attention parted ways as the stallions reached the gates. It wasn't long before the six had entered the castle and reached the throne room, all of them out of breath and panting. "We... made it... your majesties," Shining greeted with a bow. "So, what's this all about? What's going on?" Princess Celestia, however, looked down at Shining Armor and his friends and seemed to hold back a snicker. "Shining, when I told you and your friends to come to Canterlot right away, I meant take the train! It wasn't that urgent!" Princess Luna just remarked. "Sister, it's like you chose the words on purpose knowing that this would happen." Celestia quickly shook her head. "You know that's not how my visions work, Luna. If I'd know this is what would happen I'd definitely have rephrased that letter," Then she cleared her throat. "It's great that you all came here so quickly, but you really didn't need to. There's no big crisis that needs dealing with, and no big threat that needs to be resolved." "Then why the summons?" Fancy Pants questioned. "Did you call us here just for some kind of prank?" Celestia again shook her head. "It's no prank, I assure you," Then she cleared her throat. "There is, however, something Luna and I have sensed in the wind. That harmony as we now know is changing. And with that change comes new developments for Equestria. It has become clear to us that the time has come for the old guard to make way for the next generation." "That is why we've decided..." Luna ominously began, before her tone of voice became more casual. "To step down from the throne. We are officially retiring." The stallions were all rendered speechless, except for Shining Armor who seemed to take the news pretty well. "I'm terribly sorry, princesses," He apologized. "My hearing must be on the fritz or something. I could've sworn you said you're both retiring. But we all know that's not true, right?" Celestia only somberly replied. "I'm afraid it is, much as we may all wish it wasn't. Nothing is meant to last forever, though. And Luna and I believe our time as rulers have come and gone." "But... that can't be!" Shining gasped as he stepped back, recoiling from the shock of the news! "Who could possibly fill the big horseshoes you two would be leaving behind?!" Luna pointed to Shining. "You of course, Prince Shining Armor. With the help of your friends, I'm certain you'd make an excellent ruler. And my sister thinks so too, and she's the one who's seen your growth from a humble rookie recruit to Captain of the Royal Guard." "Me?! You want me to take your place?!" Shining wondered aloud. It was hard for him to process this, and the looks of bewilderment from his friends definitely didn't help. They were just as confused he was and none knew what to say in response to this sudden (and unexpected) turn of events.