Epilogue
Twilight Sparkle, (former) leader of the Lunar Republic, could only sigh in relief as more and more of the Empire’s forces were loaded up for transfer to prison facilities. “At long last, this war that should have never happened is over. Though there is still much to do and many beings of many different species that need help, it's still a step in the right direction.”
Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, relieved to be able to properly enjoy the sunshine for the first time in five years. “Well, Shining Armor and Cadence send their thanks for the needed supplies getting through, but the Crystal Empire is now under attack by the forces of a new menace; some wiseacre calling himself the Storm King.”
Here, Twilight couldn’t help but groan. “And to think Rainbow would have called me a buzzkill for thinking that the forces of Disharmony wouldn’t simply stay silent after the Empress was taken down. It will be a while before any help can arrive, but we will get it there as soon as possible.”
Sweetie Belle merely snorted in reply. “Your brother thought you might say that, and said the offer is appreciated, but not needed. Shining already has a force field around the entire Crystal Empire and the odds of it lasting long enough for the Storm King's forces to run out of steam are quite good. He just sent the report to explain why he and the rest of the Crystal Guard might be a while to help out with the rescue, recovery and repairs.”
Twilight nodded in understanding. “And we’ll definitely need some help with the repairs. Despite how Discord has confirmed that the ambient Chaos levels have already gone down considerably since that last battle, I know that it’ll be some time before things approach some semblance of anything that can be considered ‘normal.’ Besides, Pinkie is definitely going to need some help with what the other Sombra put her through on top of all the other stress she had to go through and there is only one pony who can keep up with her.”
“Already ahead of you there, Twi.” Sweetie Belle said with a grin. “I took the liberty of sending a message asking Cheese Sandwich to help Pinkie through her recovery.”
Here, Twilight couldn’t help but let out a snort of amusement. “Still can't resist playing matchmaker, can you, Sweetie?”
“Well, I need something to help me through the grieving process considering what happened to Scootaloo.” Sweetie said with a slight huff. “Well, I mean, besides being Spike 2.0.”
Twilight merely nodded in reply, remembering how Rarity’s sister had offered to use the connections she had gathered during the war to become the Princess’ new assistance, only to frown as she remembered something important. “Speaking of Scoots, it’s nearly time.” The Princess of Friendship declared as the two Republic members turned towards the mass funeral for everypony who had fallen in the final battle for Equestria. Of particular note were two graves that were being bestowed with full honors: Scootaloo, the brave sister of the late Rainbow Dash who would never get to actually see the battle in question but proven in her final moments to have been just as loyal as the late Wonderbolt, and Prince Blueblood: the (former) Empress’ nephew who’d proven to be every bit the noble pony he professed himself to be.
Sunburst in particular was feeling emotional about this, even more so then he had when he had shoved his own counterpart into the custody of Twilight’s new Royal Guards, as evidenced by the tear that leaked from his eye as he laid what remained of Blueblood’s wing harness at his grave. “I was wrong earlier: you were worthy of those.”
Rarity merely nodded in agreement as she kissed her hoof and stroked the noble pony’s headstone. “Good night, sweet Prince.”
Rainbow was also holding back some tears as she laid her late counterpart’s Wonderbolt uniform at Scootaloo’s grave before giving a salute. “You earned it, sis.”
“Say hi to Mom for me,” Storm Chaser said with a nod as she proudly wore the Element of Loyalty of this world - still appearing as a lightning bolt, though the fact that her Cutie Mark, earned shortly after the last battle, looked like a rainbow-colored bolt of lightning coming out of a storm cloud might have had something to do with that. When asked about said mark, she simply said that "I want to be the kind of pony my Mom was: to good ponies, I'll bring hope, but to bad ponies, I'll bring the storm that always comes before a rainbow."
Despite part of Lightning Dust wishing that it had been her, she wasn’t too upset. This war had done a good job of teaching her humility and besides, she couldn’t say she was too surprised: the filly was Rainbow’s daughter after all. Speaking of… “I promise, I’ll look after your niece for you: I don’t need an Element to prove that I’m loyal to her and Equestria.”
Soarin smiled. “Maybe not, but with all the Pegasi that fell in battle during Celestia’s rampage, we need some new Wonderbolts recruits. What do you say, Dust? Want to give it another try?”
“Go ahead, Dusty: you’ve earned it.” Starlight Glimmer said with a smile as her fillyfriend looked to her in shock. Needless to say, the only reason Lightning didn’t break out cheering was because she was at a funeral.
As it turned out, the tears didn’t stop once the funeral was finished, as evidenced by the ones that leaked from Rainbow’s eyes after Fluttershy gave her some troubling news. “I feel bad about you guys turning yourselves in.”
Fluttershy shook her head as Applejack, Rarity, and herself waited to be taken away by the authorities. “We’re not too thrilled about it either, but we did do a lot of bad things that we need to answer for.”
Rainbow nodded, not liking it, but understanding it nonetheless. “Well, I'm pretty sure, considering your genuine remorse, the fact you guys did help save the day and the fact that you got quite a few reliable folks willing to vouch for you all, that you'll get a much lighter sentence than most of the others.”
Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, tearing up as he brought her sister in for a hug. “I'm going to miss you sis.”
Rarity simply returned the embrace with a bittersweet smile. “Sweetie, we've waited five years to see each other: I’m fairly certain we can wait just a little longer.”
Applejack looked to her counterpart. “Hey, uh, Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Babs: they alive in yer world?”
“Yeah?”
“Give them a hug for me, will ya?” the alternate Element of Honesty requested with a bittersweet smile, happy that her family was still alive.
Applejack merely smiled as she brought herself in for a hug. “Ah promise.”
Meanwhile, back in the Dragon Lands, Ember watched as her counterpart had several caches of high quality gems being carted off to Equestria’s treasuries. “You know, I was joking when I compared joining up with the Solar Empire with parting with a few bad gems.”
“True, but whether I like it or not, the Dragon Lands did aid the Empire for a short while,” Dragon Lord Ember replied. “And seeing how the one pony I could trust to rule in my place while I sat in an Equestrian holding cell is dead, helping the other nations pay for the repairs is the best way I can think of to work to regain their trust.”
Ember just nodded, knowing exactly who her counterpart was talking about. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’d have fared any better in your position, and given that you did end up turning on the Solar Empress… well, you had a few rough patches, but I think Spike would be proud.” She then blinked. “Actually, that reminds me. Our Sombra seems to have become rather fond of this world, but I know that no creature here wants him to stick around. Problem is, I’m not sure how we could get him to leave.”
Princess Ember merely gave a dark chuckle in response. “Don’t worry. If I know our Pinkie Pie, and I like to think I do, she’s currently repaying him for all the kindness he’s shown her by subjecting him to the worst torture she could think of.”
As it turned out, the Dragon Lord wasn't too far off. “Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!” Sombra yelled out, nearly crying as he noticed Celestia and Twilight, his Twilight, walk past his cell. “Oh, I never thought I’d say this, but thank Faust you’re here! You need to get me out of here! I’ll go back to Tartarus. I’ll clean your castle bathrooms with a toothbrush. Anything to get away from that mare!”
Princess Twilight blinked as she looked to Pinkamena. “Do I want to know what you did to him?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Pinkamena said with a shrug. “Just having him binge watch the G3 movies.”
While she didn’t understand the reference, Celestia couldn’t help but shudder. “Note to self: don’t mess with Pinkie Pie in any world.”
“Generally a good idea,” Twilight said with a sigh. “Just felt you should know most of the Empire’s forces have been rounded up, or have turned themselves in. We’ll be keeping an eye out for any stragglers. The next job will be restoring order.”
Princess Twilight nodded in agreement as she and Celestia walked beside her counterpart. “So, I suppose with the evidence Lightning Dust, Soarin, and Prince Blueblood had gathered up and shared and with your Celestia defeated, your Princess Privileges have been officially reinstated?”
“Only temporarily.” Twilight said with a sigh. “I only plan to stay on the throne until the repairs to Equestria have been completed and a democratically elected council comprised of equal parts Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth ponies has been firmly established.”
Here, Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “So, being ruler of Equestria a little too much responsibility for you?”
“Yes, and I have no trouble admitting it.” The former leader of the Lunar Republic declared. “Oh, I still plan to use my power - including the power your Celestia transferred from my Celestia to me. In fact, I thought I’d try and take over the late Luna’s job of watching over ponies dreams. I might also take over raising and lowering the Sun - though I'll leave the moon to the unicorns: no sense letting all the hard work of Starlight and Trixie's trainees go to waste. Not to mention handling the villains and monsters that are too dangerous for the normal military and/or helping any returning ponies that Sunset might send over.”
“But I'm not up to ruling Equestria long term - especially not with Spike and Rainbow dead and the rest of my closest friends in prison.” Twilight continued to explain herself. “Someday, maybe, I’ll be ready to take a larger role in looking after Equestria again - maybe set up a Constitutional Monarchy or something - but not today. Not now. Back when Celestia and Luna first hit the scene, they actually weren’t Equestria's rulers. Just its protectors. In the first few years, it was that simple. It needs to be that simple again.”
Celestia merely nodded, a proud smile on her face. “I can respect that, though if you don’t mind, I think we should still stick around for a few days. I hope to help give you a fair chance to get used to my counterpart's power before I leave.”
Here, Twilight couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow even as she watched as her counterpart merely nodded in acceptance as they approached her counterpart’s cell. “Speaking of Equestria’s rulers, what will you do with your Celestia?”
“She’ll stand trial: they all will, but I’m going to make sure that the judge and juries take any mind control they were under and/or any support they gave us during this little adventure into the sentencing process.” Twilight declared, frowning when Celestia merely nodded, her eyes never leaving the (former) Solar Empress. “Bit for your thoughts?”
Celestia merely gave a disgruntled sigh. “Though I am pleased with the hard-earned victory against my counterpart and her forces, I am still left worried. I already knew I wasn't perfect even before this, but this version of me was pretty much all my biggest flaws amplified. Still, I have to wonder, if I was ever pushed too far, would I have gone that far astray as well?”
“In other words, you're hoping you don't go bad too, but fearing that you might under the right - or should I say wrong - circumstances?” Twilight asked before giving a nod of understanding. “I know what you mean. I've come close to crossing more lines than I'm comfortable with admitting myself. And with the power I had even before you transferred your counterpart's power to me, those types of slips can be disastrous. It is an extremely thin line we have to walk, and I sincerely hope that for your world’s sake you never have to find out. But for what it's worth?”
“Yes?”
“If you ever do lose control?” I'll come to help my counterpart and her friends stop you.” Twilight Sparkle said with a smile.
“And I wouldn't have it any other way.” Celestia said with a smile as they made their exit, the two Pinkie Pies already on standby for the victory party.
As they walked off, however, the (former) Solar Empress glared out the window of her cell, her horn giving off a glow even as the Unicorns Starlight and Trixie trained began to lower the Sun and raise the Moon.
The end?