All of a sudden, who should appear in the throne room but Discord?! The spirit was dressed up like a reporter, complete with a notepad, a pencil, and a camera. "Ooh! 'Breaking News! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna Announce Retirement: Control to Pass to Prince Shining Armor, Effective Immediately' Hold the line, ladies and gents, because this is the scoop of the century!" He proceeded to put a microphone in front of the royal sisters. "Now go ahead, tell us everything and don't skip out on the details!"
"What are you doing here, Discord?" Soarin questioned the spirit with a raised eyebrow. "This is serious."
"I know," Discord replied as he paid Soarin's comment no mind. "This is the scoop of the century! My reporter's instincts were tingling, and it looks like I was right on the money. Now go ahead, princesses, we're all ears."
Shining just pushed the microphones aside and glared at Discord. "Don't you have better things to do right now? We're talking about the first transition of power in over a millennia."
Discord just frowned as he snapped his talons and made his reporter's outfit (and the microphones) disappear. "Hey, there's no need to be rude. Just like the princess, I've sensed that harmony is changing. I could also sense that they were going to do something big because of that. But I didn't expect them to announce they were retiring. I'm just crushed they didn't think to offer the job to me. I'd do a real good job!"
Celestia tried her best to keep a straight face. "I know, Discord. And that's exactly what worries me. You're still a tad too careless with your powers to be an effective ruler. And what Equestria needs most right now is stability."
"And you think I'll provide that?" Shining questioned aloud as he looked at the princesses. "Why me? I know I've stepped in for you two before, but it's never come anywhere close to running an entire kingdom. Cadence is the one with the experience, she oversees the big details of the Crystal Empire. I'm more of a co-ruler and security head, that's where my skills lie. Besides, what about Prince Blueblood? I know he's had... 'issues' but he is still ahead of me when it comes to being next in line for the throne," Looking across to Luna he commented. "And it's not fair to you, Luna. You've only gotten back from the moon for about half a decade now. Why do you want to retire too?"
Luna sighed as she explained. "Without my sister by my side, ruling just wouldn't be the same even if it was with you or Cadence to take Celestia's place. Celestia and I, we've been apart for a thousand years already and the separation was almost unbearable. We've both agreed that this is reluctantly for the best."
"As for Cadence and Blueblood, we did consult with them first, they both declined," Celestia answered. "Princess Cadence is busy overseeing the Crystal Empire as you just stated, on top of taking care of Flurry Heart who will succeed her one day. And Prince Blueblood, I was surprised when he said no. Like you he insisted he wasn't qualified, though unlike you he revealed how he's had little in the way of actual leadership. The most he's gotten is a brief stint as head of the Gala Planning Committee. Hence the mantle of leader passes to you."
Luna was quick to add. "It's not a position you'll need to do alone, though. You're more than welcome to appoint your friends to serve as co-rulers or royal advisers. You could even make Ponyville or the Crystal Empire joint capitals, or even move the capital to there. Ponyville did briefly serve as capital when my sister and I lived in our old castle in the Everfree Forest, it could serve that role again if it has to."
Still, Shining stumbled back. "And you want me to just take over, just like this? I couldn't! I'm not prepared in the slightest!"
"You really mustn't doubt yourself, Shining. I know you're still torn up about Cozy Glow, but you should know by that now even the best of leaders and rulers can make mistakes. Nopony expects perfection all the time," Celestia declared as she trotted forward and draped a wing around the prince. "Though Luna and I will retire, we'll still be around if you need to consult with us. We'll still be in charge of raising and lowering the sun and the moon each day and night."
Luna coughed into a hoof. "Though we're working on a way to create something to let you do it for us. Sunburst is working on it right now but it's still in the experimental phase."
Celestia smiled as she ended the wing hug and stepped back a bit. "You've been hesitant to undertake assignments before, Shining Armor. Yet you've proven to be more than capable of handling them and emerging from them with more experience and wisdom. Luna and I wouldn't be asking this of you unless we had total confidence in your ability to be an effective leader."
The prince could only shake his head. "But I could never be the kind of leader or ruler you two were. You're leaving behind insanely big horseshoes to fill."
"And you will fill them well," Celestia declared in a confident yet warm tone of voice. "This much I can say with confidence, for I have foreseen this in my visions. I don't know for sure what challenges will lie ahead for you and your friends, but I'm certain Equestria will remain in good hooves with you on the throne."
"We hope you'll find the same confidence in yourself," Luna added with a smile of her own. "What do you think, Shining Armor?"
All eyes quickly fell on the prince as he weighed all that had been told to him. His expression was difficult to read, it didn't really convey confidence but it also didn't signify the kind of fear that might make one think he wasn't ready.
Shining's words were slow to leave his mouth. "I... I... I need... time to think about... this."
"Take all the time you need. We want you to step into your new role when you feel you are ready and not a moment sooner," Celestia nodded. "Simply notify us when you believe the time is right."