//------------------------------// // Prologue: Nightmares of Loss and Birth At Dawn // Story: Luster Dawn Friendship Successor // by SamSwordsman123 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle walked through the Canterlot Cemetery. She saw the gravestones marked with the cutie marks of a sun and moon. The graves of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the former of which had been her mentor, secondary mother figure, and idol. She’d wanted to be exactly like Celestia, and now she was practically. She’d grown larger than almost any other pony, to the same body size and shape as Celestia had thanks to receiving her and Luna’s power and immortality during her coronation as Ruler of Equestria. She looked upon their graves for some time, then suddenly she heard a voice. “Twilight?” Twilight looked over her shoulder and saw a purple dragon. “Oh hi Spike. I was just visiting Celestia and Luna’s graves.” “I can see that,” Spike said, “But we need to visit others as well.” “Others?” Twilight asked. “You know… your best friends?” Spike asked. “What?” Twilight exclaimed. “Don’t you remember them? Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie?” Spike reminded her. “But they’re not- they can’t be!” Twilight exclaimed. “They’re dead Twilight!” Spike said before pointing. “Look there’s their graves!” Twilight looked, and her eyes widened in horror as she saw the five gravestones with cutie marks that belonged to her five best friends. Diamonds, butterflies, a lightning bolt with a rainbow coloration, balloons, apples. “No! No! No!” Twilight screamed. “They can’t be gone!” “Hey its alright princess!” another voice said. Twilight looked and saw another group of unfamiliar ponies there in the cemetery with her and Spike. “Who- who are you?” Twilight asked. “We’re your new friends,” another of the ponies said. “We’re their replacements,” a third said pointing to the five graves. “Replacements?” Twilight repeated. “No! Nopony can replace them! I belong with my best friends!” “You belong on the throne! You’re the ruler of Equestria, we need you here! We’ll always need you.” We’ll always need you We’ll always need you Twilight woke with a start. She took in her surroundings, the royal room of Canterlot Castle where she’d taken up residence in permanently. Her pet Owlouisous lay on his perch, hooting at her in concern when her saw her wake up. “It’s okay, Owlousis. I’m okay, I just had a nightmare.” “Who?” “Me,” Twilight sighed. If only owls could say somethings besides “who”. She looked down at the bed as she went over her nightmare. The life an immortal, having to watch all her best friends, the ponies who had made her the Princess she was today, die. It was too terrible. She couldn’t bare the thought of that, she belonged with them. True she could make new friends, she was the Princess of Friendship after all. But if she had to watch generations of friends pass on, she’d have to call herself the Princess of Loss instead. That was not a lovely title. Twilight sighed again, then levitated her favorite book of all over and opened it. It was the memory book Starlight and Spike had given her when she’d moved back to Canterlot. She opened it and saw the moving pictures of her and all the others laughing together. Her precious memories that she would always treasure. But that was not enough. She didn’t want to merely remember her friends even if they weren’t part of her everyday life anymore. She wanted to always be with them, even if it was in death. She was going to do what Celestia had done. She would find a successor… somepony who could take control of Equestria, the sun, moon, and the magic of friendship from her. Unlike Celestia who had stayed to get her sister Luna back, Twilight had no reason to rule for a thousand years and endure endless funerals and losses of friends. That had been Celestia’s greatest pain which she’d kept hidden so well. There was suddenly a knock on the door. “Twilight! Wake up!” a familiar voice called. “I am awake Spike!” Twilight called. Her now adolescent dragon assistant and younger brother entered her bedroom carrying a scroll. “Starlight’s gone into labor!” he told her. Twilight got to her hooves with a grin. “Then I guess we better go to Ponyville. I don’t want to miss the birth of my first pupil’s child!” They ran outside of the castle and took off on their wings. Princess and Dragon soared through the night sky across Canterlot to the small town that had been their home for the best years of their lives with five other special ponies. Ponyville. Twilight saw the many houses and familiar buildings including Sugar Cube Corner. Overlooking the town was the Castle of Friendship, the castle that had served as her second home for after the destruction of the Golden Oak Library at Tirek’s horns. Now the Castle was the home of her former student Starlight Glimmer who was now its stewardess and Headmare of the school of Friendship connected to it. But Starlight wasn’t there in the castle. Twilight flew to the Ponyville Hospital where she found Starlight’s husband Sunburst and best friend Trixie Lulamoon in the waiting room. Also present were her five best friends, all of whom looked at her and Spike as they entered the room. “Twilight, you’re here!” Applejack said in joy as she and the others raced over to embrace their friend who had become less a part of their lives. “You didn’t think I’d miss this did you?” Twilight asked with a small smile. “How are you holding up?” Applejack sighed. “Well, Rainbow’s been there for me a lot since Granny Smith died. So I’m coping. Its not like I’ll never see her again after all.” “Yeah, its just until we pass into the ether ourselves,” Twilight agreed. I just hope I don’t have to watch all of them go first. There was a ring. Everyone knew what that meant. Soon Nurse Redheart entered the room. “Excuse me, Mr. Burst? Your wife has given birth. Congratulations, you have a daughter.” Sunburst grinned and began stomping his hooves. “Yes! Yes! I’m a father! I’m a father!” “Father party!” Pinkie screamed and blew her confetti canon. “Darling, do make sure to keep it down,” Rarity told her. “Remember what happened when you wouldn’t be quiet after the Cake Twins were born?” Pinkie sighed, “Oh right.” She wore a big grin as they made their way to the room where Starlight sat in bed holding her newborn foal to her breast. “Oh, hey Twilight!” Starlight said with a grin as her former mentor entered the room with everypony else. “Hey Starlight,” Twilight said as she bent down to get a look at the baby. "Oh, come here sweetie!" Sunburst exclaimed as he picked up his daughter from his wife. It was a pink pony, brighter pink than Starlight. Her mane was orange and yellow like her father’s body. “Oh she’s beautiful,” Twilight said. “What are you going to name her?” Starlight thought for a moment, then glanced at the clock nearby. It was 6 am in the morning. “Well I- Twilight gasped as she realized something. “Oh! I need to raise the sun!” The ruler of Equestria lit up her horn and then light began to shine through as dawn occurred and the sun rose for first light. Everypony smiled at the light pouring through the window. Starlight smiled weakly as she watched. “That’s it! I’ll name her Dawn! Luster Dawn!”