…
…
Luster Dawn was a unicorn pony from Canterlot moving to Ponyville with her family. Once she was a student at the School of Magic, but recent events had caused her family to make a decision that living in Canterlot was no longer safe. Though against this decision she kept her feelings to herself. Looking down at a newspaper covering the shift in Equestria's monarchy, she read quietly to herself the article that was in front of her eyes.
"'Once Upon a Time, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle. She was a student of the wise and regal Princess Celestia, who sent her student to live in the town of Ponyville in order to learn about the magic of friendship. It was here in Ponyville that she befriended five special ponies, and together they unlocked the most powerful weapon in Equestria: The Elements of Harmony!
Every challenge that came their way, Twilight and her friends were able to overcome. And now, Twilight is slated to be officially crowned Equestria's new ruler, thus ending the joint reign of Princesses Celestia and Luna.'"
Luster threw the newspaper down at her rear hooves, sighing profusely. In her mind, her world was turned upside down by a sudden decision. Not the coronation, but the fact that her family was leaving Canterlot because of the last attack. It seemed silly to her, Canterlot had been invaded and attacked multiple times since Luster was a foal. Why had the most recent assault on it been different?
"Why did we have to move out of Canterlot?" Luster muttered quietly to herself, not wanting to ve overheard. "With each time we were threatened we still managed to survive. Maybe Mom and Dad just want me to get my head out of the books and start making friends? But why do I need to leave Canterlot to do that?"
Luster turned to her right to see the two ponies in her life looking at each other, holding each others hooves.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing, Moon Dusk?" Luster's mother asked in a posh accent. "I mean, it's a big change…"
"A big change for all of us," Moon Dusk answered, looking over at his grouchy daughter. "But it'll be a good change when all's said and done. Now is the perfect opportunity for Luster to learn about friendship. Besides, the School of Friendship is just as good as the School of Magic and who knows? Luster might one day end up as Princess Twilight's protégé if she's lucky."
Luster didn't acknowledge her father, keeping her focus off of him. Picking up the newspaper again, she looked closely at the picture of Twilight.
"Being Princess Twilight's protégé?" Luster thought to herself as she studied the picture of the young alicon in the paper. "The only reason why she became Celestia's protégé was because she was gifted with magic. I didn't get my cutie mark from a magic entrance exam, and I don't have a baby dragon serving me. I'm not gifted, so why would anyone think I'd amount to anything close to what Princess Twilight is about to become?"
Unknown to the mare, she had no idea that such thinking would change her life forever. In ways that not even she or her parents could've suspected.
…
"My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" THEME SONG
…
…
Twilight couldn't believe what was happening to her! Her worst fear was coming true…
She was going to move back to Canterlot!
She was leaving Ponyville behind, forever!
Running around her soon to be former castle, so much was going through her fragile mind. Boxes containing all of her personal belongings were laying outside of the empty rooms, waiting to be moved.
"Twilight?" Spike commented as he sat on one of said boxes "I'm pretty sure we have everything. There's no need to panic."
"I'll just do another check, Spike! I want to be sure we're not forgetting anything!" Twilight declared as she kept rushing about.
"But we already checked everywhere, twice." Spike pointed out with a groan. But it seemed that, try as he might it seemed Spike couldn't covnince Twilight when she was in one of her moods.
"Aha!" Twilight cried, holding a Power Ponies comic book in her magic aura and placing it in Spike's claws. "A Power Ponies magazine! It was worth a third check after all."
Spike raised an eyebrow as he took the book from her. "But I already read it twice. I don't need to take it to Canterlot."
"No, no, no!" Twilight cried. "You love those magazines, Spike! I'll take them with us! I won't take no for an answer!"
Following Twilight into her now empty grand library, Spike couldn't help but feel more and more sorry for his longtime friend (and the pony he looked up to as a big sister). He knew that something was up with Twilight and it wasn't because they were moving back to Canterlot.
"No, Twilight," He declared, walking into the library and flying towards Twilight. "I don't really wanna take them with me. I'm becoming older now and I'm not sure whether I want to even collect them anymore. Interests can change."
"But," Twilight protested as her lips quivered. "Does change have to mean that you leave behind everything you love?!" The princess of friendship subsequently collapsed onto a box of books, her face buried into them.
"Uh, you're still not nervous about ruling, are you?" Spike asked, sitting next to Twilight.
"No, it took a while," Twilight answered while sadly rising to her feet. "I've never been so ready for something. But just because I'm ready for the throne in Canterlot, doesn't mean that I want to leave Ponyville behind. It's been my home for years, I have so many memories. It's not like when we lived here and I could go back to Canterlot whenever I wanted to."
Picking up a copy of Ponyville Express, Twilight flipped through the pages and tried to fight back the tears on her face. "When we were fighting to save everyone from Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow I was too busy to think about it. But now, with everything happening at once…"
"But what?" Spike asked as he seized the newspaper in his claws.
"The crowning, the move, having to leave our friends behind," Twilight continued. "I know Celestia said we were going to rule together, but it will still change! Their life is here, we're leaving and they're not! And...and it feels like we're leaving them behind! What if we somehow grow apart?!"
Tears were forming in her eyes as she spoke those words. Spike stood there in shock and surprise, for he now fully understood what Twilight was going through.
…
…
Princess Celestia stood in her soon to be ex-throne room as her servants continued preparing the throne room for the coronation ceremony to take place in one day's time. The emotions the elder princess was feeling were just as raw as Twilight's. Looking up at what would soon be Twilight's throne, Celestia felt several lumps in her throat.
"This is it," she somberly declared. "After over 1,000 years…I'm leaving. It…just doesn't feel normal for me."
Lowering her head in sadness, a small tear trickled down her face and hit the crystal floor below.
"But, I know in my heart that Twilight is ready," Celestia sighed, walking into the throne room. "Everything she's faced has led up to this moment. I just wish that this transition would be easier…for the both of us."
At that moment, the throne room doors flung open again and in walked Princess Luna. "Sister, I checked to make sure that our rooms were emptied and…" Luna started to say, only to stop when she noticed the tears on her older sister's face. "Celestia, is everything all right? Are you… crying?"
This made Celestia lose her train of thought as she stepped back! Hastly she tried to put on a brave face for Luna. "Oh, uh, I'm…not crying, really," She retorted while hastily trying to hide her emotions. "I'm just…thinking about something."
However, Luna was quick to notice how her sister was acting. She had seen this kind of behavior before. "You're thinking about the coronation, aren't you?" She asked while briefly looking away in sadness herself. "Twilight ascending to the throne and us leaving?"
"Luna, I…" Celestia opened her mouth, trying to find the words she wanted to say. "I feel…conflicted, somehow. Part of me wants to retire and part of me doesn't. Twilight's going to be ruling Equestria by herself."
"No, she'll have the others," Luna reassured her sister. "They have a bond that can't be broken. We've seen that first hoof."
"What if they grow apart, Luna?" Celestia asked in a panicked voice. "I know for a fact we aren't going to be around forever, and Twilight may not need me anymore now that we're retiring."
"Sister, you're overreacting," Luna casually replied, catching the attention of several castle servants. "Twilight is always going to need us. It's not like we're dying or anything."
Unfortunately, Luna's words caused Celestia's eyes to well up with tears as she slowly walked towards the outer balcony of the throne room. Placing her forelegs on the edge of the balcony, Celestia looked out at the space which in one day would be filled with ponies (and even several non-ponies) eagerly awaiting the shift in power.
"Luna, do you realize how close you and I have become to Twilight?" Celestia asked, tears beginning to flow down her face. "She's more than just a student, she's more than just a princess, she's…like a daughter to me. I've…I've been like a mother to her, Luna! And now, I'm just leaving her to fend for herself! I'm…I'm scared."
Lightly sobbing, Celestia threw herself onto her younger sister, her emotions slowly coming out.
"Sister, it's all right," Luna whispered as she hugged Celestia tightly. "It's a scary time for me, too. Even I can't help but wonder who's going to patrol the dreams of ponies, I mean, who would pick up where I'll leave off? I don't think we can leave just yet!"
So much was going through the sisters' minds. Like Twilight, they too, were struggling greatly.
…
…
The train bearing Luster Dawn and her family arrived at Ponyville Station to a crowd of ponies on their way to Canterlot for Twilight's coronation. For Luster Dawn, it wasn't much to write home about. "So, where do we go now?" The pink coated unicorn asked her family. "Where are we staying in this town?"
"Well, the new house isn't really that far from here," Fire Blaster optimisticly replied. "In fact, it was built on the site of the old Golden Oak Library."
Luster Dawn's ears fell flat upon hearing this. "You're joking,, right?" She remarked as her family left the station, carrying their luggage with them. "We're staying on the actual Golden Oak Library grounds? I'll have you know that Lord Tirek incinerated it years ago!"
"But at least it didn't go to waste, Luster," Moon Dusk reassured her daughter. "After the roots were dug up, I decided that this would be the land to build our home on. It's not like the land was being used for anything else." Soon, they approached a yellow colored house made of wood, sitting clearly on the site where the Golden Oak Library had once stood.
Luster Dawn wasn't thrilled with the idea at all. "Dad, this is sacred ground! Do you think Princess Twilight would like it if she saw us living on her old land?" She frowned.
"What does that matter to us, Luster?" Fire Blaster asked as he trotted towards the door. "Princess Twilight's moving to Canterlot, she probably won't even be focused on land that used to be hers. And the mayor said nopony else used this land for anything since the library got destroyed."
"The princess should be caring!" Luster stomped a hoof down. "In fact, if Twilight was here, she would have told us to go back to Canterlot rather than defile these grounds!"
Neither Moon Dusk nor Fire Blaster paid any attention to their daughter's outburst. "Now, Luster, you've got to learn to live here," Moon Dusk spoke while forming a look of concern on his face. "The decision to move here is for all our benefits. Being in Canterlot, well, it just wears on you after a while."
"We really moved here because of Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow and you know it!" Luster snapped! "Why don't you have any guts to live in Equestria's capital anymore?! Why was that last attack different than all previous ones?!"
"That's enough, Luster!" Fire Blaster scolded. "We are here and that's final! Besides, the School of Friendship is among the fastest rising institutions in Equestria. And with Princess Celestia retiring, there is no better time than now to move here. Now, stop grousing and help us unpack."
Rolling her eyes, Luster Dawn did as she was told. In her mind, the day had gone from bad to worse. Soon though, she found herself in her new bedroom, a very small sized bedroom with a dresser and mirror. "I can't believe this," She continued to mutter as she unpacked her things. "First my parents turn chicken and force me out of Canterlot. And now, now I live on the land that once belonged to Princess Twilight. What else could go wrong?"
Just then there came a knock at the door and Moon Dusk answered it. Outside was a yellow coated earth pony colt with a short green mane and tail.
"Hi, are you the new family moving here from Canterlot?" He asked with a small smile on his face. "My mom wanted me to bring you this Jell-O mold as a house warming present." The pony passed an orange colored Jell-O mold to Moon Dusk, who gladly accepted it.
"Well, thank you, lad," Moon Dusk replied while looking through the Jell-O mold. "What's your name?"
"Sandbar, I'm a student at the School of Friendship." Sandbar answered.
"How delightful," Fire Blaster smiled as she stood next to her husband. "Our daughter is enrolling at that very school. Perhaps she can buddy with you to help her get adjusted."
Hearing her parents calling up to her, Luster Dawn reluctantly made her way downstairs.
"Hi there," Sandbar greeted while looking at Luster Dawn. "What's your name?"
"Luster Dawn." Luster muttered under her breath.
"Huh?" Sandbar asked, placing a hoof to his ear. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Luster Dawn."
"You'll have to excuse her," Fire Blaster sighed, using her magic to pull Luster back. "It's a bit of a change for her, moving from Canterlot to Ponyville."
"Yeah, it can be tough for anypony or anycreature for that matter," Sandbar sincerely answered. "But don't worry. My friends and I will look out for her. When does she start school?"
"After the coronation." Moon Dusk confirmed.
"Great, can't wait till then!" Sandbar excitedly exclaimed. "Look, I got to get back and get ready for the coronation tomorrow. It was nice meeting you, Luster Dawn!"
"Very nice meeting you too, Sandbar." Luster Dawn reluctantly greeted and watched the colt trot away.
Once Sandbar was gone, both parents looked at their daughter with scowls and narrowed eyebrows, ashamed of her repulsive behavior.
"You know, you could have at least shown a little bit of respect, Luster," Moon Dusk scolded. "Sandbar seems like a nice pony. Sometimes, change can be good for somepony."
Luster didn't listen and without saying a word walked back up to her room, much to her parents' chagrin.
…
Back in the library at her castle, Twilight was continuing to dwell over losing her friends because of her ascension to the throne.
"Why don't you just tell them how you feel?" Spike suggested, hoping it would be just the thing to cheer Twilight up. "I'm sure they'll feel the same way you do."
Hearing those words from her number one assistant gave Twilight a sense of encouragement. "You're right, Spike," She said while walking over to him and nudging him on the head. "A conversation with a good friend always helps."
…
…
Meanwhile in Canterlot, the Sparkle family residence was filled with excitement as Shining Armor stood in front of a mirror, checking out his red uniform and blue sash. "Looking good, Shining," He said while smiling at his reflection. "Looking good for your little sis' crowning."
"Shining Armor," A melodic voice called as Cadence, entered the study, holding Flurry Heart (who was wearing a small, yellow gown). "Doesn't Flurry Heart look great for her aunt's crowning?"
"Yep, she certainly does," Shining Armor smiled. "It's certainly going to be a big moment for somepony so small."
At that moment, Twilight Velvet walked into the room. A lone tear came into her eye. "You look nice, Shiny." She declared, trying to be proud of how handsome her son looked.
"Thanks, Mom," Shining Armor replied, only to notice how worried his mom looked. "But, uh, is everything all right?"
"Well, I don't know," Velvet admitted. "Part of me can't help but think about your sister. I mean, it's nice that she's moving back to Canterlot but…don't you think that, maybe she isn't ready to leave Ponyville? I remember how torn up she was about having to leave Canterlot all those years ago."
"Why would you say that?" Shining questioned. "Twily's coming back to Canterlot. At least you and Dad will be close to her again. And it's actually less of a trip to get to Canterlot than it is to Ponyville from the Crystal Empire. And just because Twilight's ruling all of Equestria doesn't mean that things are going to change between us. I mean, look at Cadence and I. When I left with her for the Crystal Empire, I adjusted."
"You two are different," Twilight Velvet sighed. "I can't help but think we should talk to Twilight before the coronation. I'm worried she may not be mentally ready to go through with this. She tends to keep her worries to herself."
It was at that moment Shining Armor began to think back to the Zeppelin Cruise they'd once gone on and how Twilight's emotions were affected thanks to Iron Will. How she had forced herself to be happy for everyone else's sake even it hurt her personally. "I suppose you're right," He said to his mom. "Maybe you can go over and visit Twilight before she comes here tonight? Don't worry, Dad, Cadence and I will take care of Flurry Heart."
Producing a small smile, Twilight Velvet hugged her son and boarded the next available train to Ponyville.
…
…
With the preparations for Twilight's coronation going along smoothly, Celestia and Luna left the throne room, wondering what was going to happen to them.
"All right," Luna commented as she and Celestia walked pass all of the newly repaired stained glass windows. It had taken a long time. "So Twilight will have to come to Canterlot, correct?"
"Yes." Celestia nodded.
"But, let's take a walk in her shoes for a minute. What if she doesn't have to live here full time?" Luna suggested. "I mean, think about it, sister. Twilight can come here and rule during the day, and then go back to Ponyville at night."
"But, our laws, Luna," Celestia putted while producing a scroll showing a list of said laws that they had "The laws state that…"
"The laws will change once Twilight takes command," Luna interrupted, snatching the scroll away. "If Twilight wants to share living arraignments in Ponyville and here, then she has the right to do so when she becomes ruler."
Celestia lowered her head in despair. She wanted nothing more than to do whatever it took for Twilight's transition to be smooth as possible. The more Celestia thought about it, the more difficult it became for her to process the thoughts.
"If it makes us both feel better," Luna suggested. "We can even go over to Ponyville ourselves and tell her personally."
Celestia nodded her head at the suggestion. Then she and Luna took off into the sky, flying towards Ponyville and Twilight's castle.
…
…
Back in Ponyville, heeding the advise of Spike, Twilight began to seek out her friends. She tried to explain to them how she felt about her transition. First up for her was Applejack, who was overseeing food and drink being sent for the coronation.
"So, you'll make sure nothing will change when I'm in Canterlot?" Twilight asked her first Ponyville friend.
"Of course not!" Applejack firmly replied, looking at her reflection in a shining apple. "Everythin' will change, just like the seasons. It's part of a farmer's life."
"Yeah, that's true…" Twilight whispered, not wanting to hear what she'd just heard.
"Anyways, I', busy loadin' up these here boxes and sortin' 'em," continued Applejack. "There's so much more to do now that everyone from outside of Equestria is comin' to the coronation!"
…
…
Feeling defeated from Applejack's response, Twilight and Spike headed for Pinkie Pie's party planning cave beneath Sugarcube Corner, looking for a positive response from the upbeat party pony.
Any hopes for her to be concerned were immediately dashed by her response.
"Worried? No way!" She bounced all around in her normal fashion. "Unless you're talking about the coronation, then I am worried about that. The cake is baked, but there's so much planning to do…"
She then whispered to Twilight also directing her to her pet alligator, Gummy, with a flaming match in his mouth.
''…Mostly I'm worried that Gummy won't do the fireworks properly. It looks like he has it under control but who knows what that gator thinks?"
"But what about after the coronation?" Twilight questioned. "Everything will be different, right?"
"Well duh, I'll be a royal party planner in Canterlot, so I'll have to visit more often!" Pinkie declared before she dug into one of her files. "It'll be different, but I won't mind!"
"I sure hope I won't mind either." Twilight said sadly as she proceeded to Fluttershy's animal sanctuary.
…
…
At Fluttershy's sanctuary, Twilight stood as a flock of birds and swans flew around her in a choreographed formation, while two swans gently placed a twig shaped crown on her head.
"Beautifully done, everyone!" Fluttershy told her animal friends. "It'll be amazing! Josephine, if you leave now, we'll reach Canterlot at the same time!"
A flock of doves took to the air on Fluttershy's orders. "Louise and Hubert, you'll be leaving too," She said to two swans. "I know it's far away, but I'll bring enough food so you'll have energy for your performance."
Once the swans were gone, Twilight watched as Fluttershy directed a flock of hummingbirds and butterflies into a birdcage and a glass cage respectively.
"You'll be lifting with me because the trip is too much for your small wings," She said to them, before turning to Twilight and Spike. "Everyone has to be in ship shape for the performance. I'm so glad we could practice once, everyone's so excited. But of course, no one is excited as you, Twilight!"
Twilight stepped back and tried not to flinch.
"Moving to Canterlot and being crowned…that could only mean a huge celebration, right?" Fluttershy asked. "It sounds like a dream come true for you."
"Yeah, I guess so." Twilight nervously laughed.
…
Twilight and Spike headed to Wonderbolt Headquarters next, where Rainbow Dash was training her fellow Wonderbolts for a specialized aerial performance at the coronation. Twilight was hoping for a better answer than what she'd been hearing so far from her friends.
"Listen, Rainbow Dash," Spitfire spoke up after she and Soarin rose from a cloud put up after a head on collision between them. "I know this is very important to you, and we'd love to do something special for you for the coronation of your friend. But does it really have to be this difficult?"
"Of course! Twilight has to have the best!" Rainbow Dash answered. "And I'm one hundred percent certain we'll succeed at it! You know, as long as we keep trying!"
But then Rainbow noticed Twilight standing behind her.
"Sorry, Twilight," She briefly apologized. "The bolts and I need to practice a lot more for the coronation. Can't talk now."
Lowering her head in sadness, Twilight then proceeded to Carousel Boutique to see Rarity.
…
…
"Oh darling, change is a part of fashion," The fashionista unicorn explained as she tied a sash around the bodice of Twilight's dress. "I'm even thinking about starting boutiques for creatures that aren't ponies! New stuff is important, because otherwise everything will be boring."
Rarity then proceeded over to a cage of spiders with stars on their backs.
"As an example," She continued, pulling off a cover and revealing the spiders. "I was inspired to change the design of your dress when I saw the webs of these star spiders. When you're spun, they'll glow! The effect will be amazing!"
Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even Rarity didn't seem to be treating the upcoming coronation and the changes that came with it seriously. And it was confirmed in her mind by what Rarity said next. "See, sweetie? Change is grandiose!"
….
…
Dejected, Twilight returned to her castle library and sat down, tears slowly forming in the corners of her eyes. All her emotions were bottling up inside of her and she couldn't stop them.
"Twilight?" Spike asked with concern. "Starlight will be by in a bit. She wants to give you something before we leave."
Spike then noticed the Power Ponies magazine Twilight had tried to give him earlier. Picking it up, he realized his earlier mistake on it. "And you know what? I think you're right, Twilight! I should take my comics! You can't leave the Power Ponies behind…"
"The Power Ponies don't care, just like our friends." Twilight said sadly as her friends arrived in the library.
"Hey, Twilight," Applejack greeted. "We wanted to wave you off at the station, but there's still a lot to do."
"You're not joining us on the train?" Spike asked as concern washed over him anew.
Applejack shook her head. "I'm joinin' Big Mac for the order pickin' up and deliverin', otherwise he won't know what to get. He's been busy since his marriage to Sugar Belle, not that I blame him."
"And I have to go back to the Wonderbolts so we can practice the routine one last time." Rainbow Dash added.
"I'm going to join Gummy," Pinkie Pie declared, getting a random thought in her brain. "He says he'll know when the fireworks will start…but there's no one who will believe that! I can't take any chances."
"And I have to get food for the birds that already flew to Canterlot," Fluttershy declared. "If they can't eat, they'll be too tired to perform."
Trying to hold back her emotions further, Twilight got to her feet and slowly left the library. "Well now…I'll be living on my own in Canterlot," She declared, her voice choking up with emotion. "So, I'll take the train alone as well. Goodbye…then…"
With a bitter look on her face, Twilight returned to leaving the library, only for Rarity to cut her off. "Wait, Twilight! You won't have to travel alone, sweetheart. I can give you the Star Spiders for your dress. But then you'll have to go, because the crowning has to be perfect!"
Unable to hold her emotions in any longer, Twilight finally reached her breaking point and snapped.
"BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM!" she screamed, tears flying out of her eyes. "You're too busy with MY coronation, and the fact I'm moving doesn't bother you ONE BIT!"
Before her friends could say anything, Twilight ran from them, sobbing loudly while her friends watched in disbelief.
Just then, the front door opened as Celestia and Luna walked in as Twilight ran by them, loudly crying her heart out as she ran up the stairs towards her bedroom. Dumbstruck, they turned towards Twilight's friends who responded with confused and pained looks on their faces.
"What happened here?" Celestia asked as Twilight Velvet also arrived on the scene.
…
...
Neither Twilight's friends or her extended family could believe what had just happened. The shock of seeing Twilight crying in despair caused all of their combined excitement for her coronation to crash like a million pieces.
"Wha…wha…what just happened?" Rainbow Dash stammered, landing on the ground.
"I can't believe it," Rarity added, her face filled with guilt. "Of course we care about Twilight moving. Is there something we did wrong?"
They looked to the three bewildered mares standing in the doorway with looks of disappointment on their faces. Right away, memories of long ago came flooding back to the five ponies.
"I'm going to check on her," Celestia heavily sighed as she began walking up the stairs, followed by Luna and Twilight Velvet. Concerned for their friend, Rarity and the others followed.
...
Just then, Starlight Glimmer arrived carrying a red book in her aura. Right away, she could tell something was wrong.
"Sorry I'm late," She apologized, running into the castle only to stop hastily. "I had to finish Twilight's gift and…uh-oh, what happened here?"
"Apparently, Twilight's emotions are much rawer than we all thought," Applejack explained in a worried tone of voice. "And it appears we all made it worse just now."
"What are you talking about?" Starlight question. "I thought that Twilight was looking forward to her coronation tomorrow."
"Well, she isn't looking forward to it now." Fluttershy sadly answered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Seeing the sadness in her friends' eyes, Starlight made her way up the stairs, joining Celestia, Luna and Twilight Velvet as they all stood outside Twilight's bedroom.
…
…
Taking a deep breath, Celestia knocked on the door lightly.
"Go away!" She heard Twilight cry out in between loud sobs. "Leave me alone!"
"Twilight," Celestia called. "It's me, Princess Celestia. May I come in?"
She couldn't help but feel her emotions starting to build up. She too was scared of what was about to happen. A tense silence was heard on the other end for a moment. But then Twilight's magic aura opened the door to her bedroom, allowing Celestia to enter.
Her motherly instincts kicking in, Twilight Velvet ran to her daughter, who was lying face down on her bed with her face buried in a pillow. But not for long.
Raising her head up, Twilight turned towards Celestia and the others, tear streaks plastered onto her face. Her eyes red from the intense sobbing.
"Twilight?" Applejack whispered, her eyes widened with shock and disbelief as Twilight briefly looked at her friends with bitterness, before looking over towards her mother and Celestia. "What have we done?"
Before they could look any further, Luna shut the door to Twilight's bedroom. "It's best we leave them alone for a few minutes." She solemnly advised the five.
…
…
With Princess Luna and her friends waiting outside, Twilight found herself alone with her mother and mentor. Twilight felt hurt deeply and emotionally, with her mind scrambled and fried. Even with Celestia and her mother inside, Twilight still couldn't stop crying.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Twilight," Twilight Velvet whispered, allowing Twilight to cry into her forelegs. "We're right here for you, honey."
"You've got a lot of love and support Twilight," Celestia added, sadly stroking her protégé's messy hair. "I know how hard it must be for you."
"They don't care…about my feelings," Twilight said through sobs. "All they care about is my coronation…and how they want it…to be perfect."
"I know they really don't mean that," Celestia responded, draping a wing over Twilight' back and bringing her closer to her as Twilight continued to sob her heart out. "Everyone's happy for you, myself included. But I understand how you must feel right now."
"No you don't!" Twilight cried, her tear filled face looking up at her mentor. "Do you even realize how scared I am? Moving back to Canterlot?! Leaving Ponyville behind?! You're all just so focused on the coronation that you don't even care about my feelings… just like my friends!"
A small tear trickled down Celestia's face as she heard this from her most faithful student.
"I don't want to leave Ponyville!" Twilight sobbed again. "I want to stay here and rule Equestria from here…with my friends."
At that Celestia struggled with the inner conflictions that tore at her mind. She wanted to do whatever she could to help Twilight, but it wasn't that simple. There were sacred traditions that couldn't be broken, Canterlot was the capitol of Equestria.
But even she wasn't prepared for what Twilight said next. "
You lied to me when you said me and my friends would rule together, Celestia! You lied to me!"
Those harsh words caused Celestia's heart to shatter into a million pieces!
…
…
Hearing what was going on the other side caused the rest of Twilight's friends to also feel their hearts sink. Even Luna was mortified by what Twilight cried out.
"Twilight," Celestia finally answered, lifting up Twilight's chin with her wing. "I didn't lie to you. Of course, you and your friends are going to rule together. Nothing, not even your impending coronation will change that!"
Twilight's mood failed to change.
"But, if it helps you, Twilight," Celestia added. "I'm more than willing to postpone the coronation until you feel comfortable going through with it. Your mental health is more important than anything else right now."
Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at her mentor's words, but even Celestia herself had her own demons to confront.
...
"I can't believe it!" Pinkie Pie gasped from the other side of the room! "The coronation?! Cancelled?!"
"Not cancelled, Pinkie," Luna corrected. "Merely postponed. Right now, we must all stand with Twilight Sparkle and get through this crisis."
"How could we be so stupid?" Rainbow Dash cried , punching her front left hoof against a wall in frustration with a loud thud. "It's just like the wedding rehearsal for Shining Armor and Cadence all over again!"
"Yes we were all so caught up with the excitement of our friend being crowned that we didn't take her feelings into account," Rarity realized as she wiped a tear. "Change is good, but…"
"It can't be forced onto anypony," Starlight finished, getting the attention of the others. "If there's one thing I've learned since Twilight took me under her wing, it's that you can't force ponies to do anything against their will. Twilight's becoming supreme ruler of Equestria, but that doesn't mean she can still live the life she wants to continue living by. What I think we need to do is to make this transition as easy as possible for her."
The command in Starlight's voice conveyed the gravity of the situation more than anything else. It wasn't about preparing for a coronation anymore, it was about being there for a friend. A friend that they had come to look up to for a long time.
…
…
Both Moon Dusk and Fire Blaster couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed at their daughter's behavior. To them, Sandbar was just a kind and ordinary pony who merely came over to welcome them. When their daughter came down for dinner an hour after Sandbar had stopped by, they still refused to give into their daughter's demands.
"Look, Luster," Moon Dusk sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table while looking at the Jell-O mold. "Why do you have to be so difficult being around other ponies?"
"Because, Dad, friendship doesn't matter to me," Luster Dawn answered, sitting down next to her father. "All that matters to me is my studies. I want nothing more than to one day follow in Princess Twilight's footprints."
"It takes more than magic to be a princess," Fire Blaster remarked, stacking plates in a cabinet. "It takes friendship, Luster, and you know it. In fact, this is part of the reason why we moved here. The School of Friendship can teach you more about friendship than anything you've ever known, Luster. The School of Magic is for ponies that are born with friendship. I wouldn't even be surprised if Princess Twilight made you her protégé one day. But it won't do you any good if you don't make friends."
Luster Dawn ignored her mother's remark, scoffing in disgust.
"I don't know what kind of plans you both have for me," she groaned. "But, I can assure you that whatever they are they will not work! Very soon, you'll see that the School of Friendship won't work for me and you'll have no choice but to send me back to the School of Magic where I belong!"
"I'm afraid we're both going to have to disagree with you, Luster," Moon Dusk shook his head. "You'll never know until you try."
Luster merely focused on eating her dinner, still in denial that she needed to learn about friendship.
…
…
For a full hour, back at her castle, Twilight Sparkle couldn't stop crying and only Celestia and her mother were with her for company. Looking down at Twilight, Celestia couldn't help but feel ashamed for seeing her most faithful student suffer in this manner. She needed to do something to help Twilight. After all Twilight wasn't just a princess, she was a normal pony with feelings. At that moment, the door opened as Luna came through.
"How is she?" The Princess of the Night inquired with a worried look on her face.
"Exhausted," Celestia sighed while looking down at Twilight, who had fallen asleep in her mother's forelegs. "Luna, we…we can't let her go through the coronation in this condition."
"I agree, sister. Part of me thinks that Twilight Sparkle has not had the proper time to prepare for such a momentous occasion thanks to Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow," Luna commented. "Discord's actions certainly didn't help."
The two royal sisters watched as Twilight Velvet placed her daughter down on her large bed. Celestia again stroked Twilight's hair, her face filled with pain. "There is one way we can help Twilight." Celestia declared, catching the attention of both Luna and Twilight Velvet.
"What are you saying?" Velvet questioned. "How are you going to help my daughter?"
"There are two very well known therapists in Canterlot who would be more than happy to help Twilight with stabilizing her mental health. Therapists I've been blessed to know many times for their services," Celestia explained. Stroking her protégé's mane again, Celestia struggled to not cry as she tried to stay strong in front of her sister and her student's mother.
"Gentle Breeze and Gentle Gust?" Luna inquired, much to Twilight Velvet's shock "Yes, they would be perfect to help her, Celestia. If there's anypony who can help Twilight, it's them. If you want, I can send them a note tonight telling them of what is going on."
"Then do so at once, Luna."
…
…
For the entire time that Celestia, Luna and Twilight Velvet were in the room with Twilight, Starlight and the others waited for any news on their friend's condition. At last the door opened and out stepped the three elder mares.
"How is she?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Is she gonna be okay? Tell me's gonna be okay!"
"Twilight's asleep," Velvet said, sighing lightly. "And…we've come to a decision."
"Which is what?" Fluttershy asked.
"We're going to take Twilight to the hospital in Canterlot tomorrow," Celestia explained, causing Twilight's friends to gasp in shock! "There are a pair of doctors whom we think can help Twilight's mental health recover from the shock of everything that happened recently."
"Can we come with her?" Starlight pleaded.
"Of course. In fact it is highly recommended," Luna answered. "Twilight's going to need all the support she can get."
"Not enough for all the pain we caused her," Rainbow Dash sadly sighed as she flew down the stairs, while the others followed on the ground. "How were we supposed to know that she was having these issues? Sure, Twilight has a tendency to get stressed easily, but we thought she was working on not freaking out. She seemed to be doing so well before all that stuff with Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow went down."
"It could be more than that, Rainbow Dash," Rarity remarked. "There may have been something in Twilight we didn't know about. Something she'd been keeping to herself. Some ponies deal with traumatic experiences better than others."
Looking among all the boxes bearing their friends' things, the ponies couldn't help but wonder themselves of their own feelings for Twilight moving back to Canterlot. Feelings they had ignored until now.
"When do we leave for Canterlot?" Starlight asked the princesses.
"We leave first thing tomorrow, as soon as I raise the sun. Now, all of you'd better get some rest." Celestia instructed. Opening the front door, Twilight's friends all left the castle leaving Starlight Spike, Celestia, Luna and Twilight Velvet alone.
Once they were gone, Celestia and Twilight Velvet returned to Twilight Sparkle's bedroom, seeing the most important mare in their lives fast asleep. Sitting at the edge of the bed, Celestia laid down next to Twilight and softly sang into her ear:
You are my sunshine, my lovely sunshine,
You make me happy when skies are gray,
You'll never know, Twilight, how much I love you,
Please don't take my sunshine away.
Touched by the affection Celestia showed towards her daughter, Twilight Velvet's eyes welled up with tears and a smile formed at the corner of her face. It wouldn't be long before Twilight would get the help she needed.
…
…
The very next morning, Twilight opened her eyes to find Celestia standing over her along with her mother and Luna.
"W-what's going on?" she groggily inquired. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Twilight, we've been thinking about you all night," Twilight Velvet informed her daughter. "I think the stress of the coronation is getting to you."
"Try telling that to my friends," Twilight bitterly complained. "They don't care how I truly feel! I don't want to leave here but it seems they could care less!"
"Everyone cares deeply about your feelings, Twilight," Celestia replied, draping a wing over Twilight. "And that's why we're all going to help you get to the bottom of your anxieties."
Twilight moaned as she climbed out of her bed, wondering just what was about to happen.
"We're taking you to Canterlot Hospital," Luna explained, much to Twilight's confusion. "There are a pair of doctors who specialize in dealing with a pony's psyche. We believe they can help you."
"Couldn't you just go into my dreams, Princess Luna?" Twilight wondered.
"I could do so. However, the anxiety you are feeling is something that only specialized doctors can truly help you with. What's inside your mind is something beyond my control, something beyond just nightmares."
This made Twilight feel more and more worried, realizing that there was something wrong with herself that she didn't know about. "Do Dad, Shining Armor and Cadence know about this?" She nervously asked.
"Yes," Spike explained, flying into the bedroom. "Your mom had me write a note this morning telling them that we're taking you to the hospital."
"What about my friends?" Twilight asked. "Assuming they're even willing to come."
"They're just as concerned as we are, Twilight," Celestia told her former student. "They too care about you more than your coronation."
"But…your retirement…" Twilight began in shock!
"It can wait," Luna interrupted as they walked down the stairs with Twilight. "Right now you are our top priority, Twilight Sparkle." At that moment, they saw Twilight's friends enter her castle.
"Morning, Princesses," Applejack greeted. "Morning, Twi. Glad to see you up and about."
But Twilight said nothing, much to Applejack's dismay. Soon the group left the castle and made their way towards the Ponyville Train Station. Several reporters were already at the station, having planned to be covering Twilight's departure for her coronation. But that would not be the case.
"Get back! Get back!" Several guardsponies shouted trying to keep the reporters at bay as all boarded the specially decorated coronation train.
…
…
Twilight remained silent as the train headed towards Canterlot. Her friends were seated in another car over to give their friend some alone time.
"Honestly, how could we even be so stupid as to not realize how bad Twilight's feelings were?" Rarity remarked, pacing back and forth in despair. "We were so caught up with the coronation…"
"And when she said that she didn't want anythin' to change, we should have listened to her instead of treatin' it like it was no big deal!" Applejack added as she kicked the ground. "Some friends we are."
"I'm sure you didn't intend to be mean to Twilight," Celestia answered. "You didn't know how truly nervous she was about her coronation. To be honest, I too feel nervous."
"But why?" Fluttershy asked. "How could you be nervous too, Princess Celestia?"
"Because to me, Twilight is much more than a student or a fellow princess," Celestia confessed. "I'm almost like a mother to her and she is like a daughter to me. It pains me to see her suffering like this." Several small tears came out of her eyes as she spoke.
"It pains all of us, sister," Luna replied, drying her sister's eyes with a wing. "Twilight has done so much for us and for all of Equestria, that we sometimes don't take her feelings as seriously as we should. We forget that she's a pony like the rest of us, and just as vulnerable."
Soon, the train entered Canterlot, which meant that Twilight would soon be at the hospital. As they neared the station, they saw a pair of paramedic ponies waiting on the platform with reporters being held at bay.
"What's going on, Mom?" Twilight worriedly inquired.
"It's okay, honey," Twilight Velvet reassuared Twilight while rubbing her hooves on her daughter's shoulder. "They're just gonna help with moving you to the hospital."
Carefully being helped off the train, Twilight was placed into a wheelchair and whisked away from the station, reporters still trying to take pictures of her.
…
…
Back at the School of Friendship, with her mind still focused greatly on Twilight and dressed in a suit consisting of a light red jacket and dark red skirt, Starlight had to prepare herself for the new school year. Today was the day she, Sunburst and Trixie would do orientation for first year students.
"Hey," Sunburst greeted as he walked into Starlight's office wearing a black bow tie. "I heard about what happened with Twilight. What's going on?"
"Apparently, all this stuff about the coronation has really bothered her to the point where she needs to go to the hospital," Starlight explained. "I mean moving to Canterlot, ruling from Canterlot. Part of me feels like she should still be here."
"But, aren't you supposed to be inheriting her castle?" Sunburst commented. Those words caused Starlight to drop whatever she was doing on her desk and give her best friend and vice head stallion a cold stare.
"Do you think I wanted to inherit her castle?" Starlight bitterly asked. "She gave it to me because somepony had to live in it! It's her castle, it's her home! And if she wants to rule Equestria from Ponyville, then that's what she needs to do! Some ponies may not like it but Twilight's going to be ruler, she should rule from where she feels most comfortable!"
"If only it were that simple, Starlight," Sunburst sighed. "You know that the supreme ruler of Equestria rules from Canterlot. I mean, tradition will be broken…"
"Some traditions are meant to be broken, Sunburst!" Starlight interrupted, her voice slightly raised as she rose to her hind legs.
Just then, the door opened as Trixie walked into the office wearing a light purple pantsuit.
"Starlight?" she asked. "Some of the new students are arriving. When do you want to start the school tours?"
Trixie then took notice of the distressed look on the faces of Starlight and Sunburst.
"Did Trixie miss something here? Trixie couldn't help but hear that some traditions were meant to be broken, or something like that."
"Trixie, didn't anypony tell you?" Starlight sighed, sitting back down at her desk. "Twilight was taken to the hospital in Canterlot this morning."
A look of concern befell Trixie's face. By now she had made peace with her former rival, having given up any pretenses of besting her. "What?! Why?!" She cried in sincere disdain! "What could've possbly happened to her?!"
"Her mental health isn't well, and I think the events with the villains and her impending coronation must have sent her off the deep end," Starlight answered. "As a result her coronation has been postponed until further notice."
She passed a newspaper to Trixie, who saw the headline explaining exactly what Starlight had just said.
"What can we do?" Trixie worriedly inquired.
"All we can do is wait for any news," Starlight answered, sighing heavily as she reached into her desk and pulling out a light blue bracelet. "I've got my old bracelet from my guidance counselor days set to Canterlot Hospital. If there any news on Twilight, I'll need to go over there as soon as possible."
"But, what about the student tours?" Sunburst asked.
"If I need to leave at a moment's notice, then you two will have to coordinate the student tours, is that understood?" Starlight instructed.
Both Sunburst and Trixie were left with no other option but to comply.
…
…
Being wheeled into the Canterlot Hospital's psychiatric ward, Twilight and her support waited for Twilight to be taken in. Very soon they would get to the source of her anxiety's.
"Mom, I'm scared." Twilight whimpered as she gripped her mother's hoof tightly.
"I know, honey. I know." Twilight Velvet replied, pulling her daughter's upper body towards her chest. Just then, the doorknob to the office turned and Twilight could only wonder who would be the one coming through those doors.
...
TO BE CONTINUED
...