When the Goddess spoke to her, Celestia had just finished passing her crown to Twilight.
With the Goddess’s gift, she knew what it meant. It had always meant the same thing. The Goddess always spoke to her for a short conversation, then a goodbye.
The idea of having to go pained her so much. This was her proudest moment, when her faithful student finally received the power and recognition she deserved after the past decade of overcoming the challenges that the Goddess’s plans had created for her. The ceremony had not gone according to plan, but even that was a final lesson in power and friendship. It had gone perfectly.
She tried to negotiate once more, even though she knew in advance how futile it was.
“Can I at least see the day to its end?”
The Goddess spoke.
yes. it and many more. My plans are finished. I am leaving you now.
That surprised her. She remembered what her past self had been told, and expected yet another extension of the bargain at this point in time that looked so much like an end. But the world was different now.
“You are leaving me with memories of my past selves and conversations with You. What’s to stop me from just telling everycreature about You? About what it really took to create this new Equestria?“
The Goddess replied.
if you were capable of such a thing, I would have chosen another version of you to be the last one.
She hated to admit it, but the Goddess was right. Celestia approved of what the Goddess’s plans had created. A prosperous, safe, tolerant, stable, peaceful, multicultural and multispecies nation ruled over by the pony she trusted more for the job than anycreature else. What could she possibly accomplish by destroying its foundations?
The Goddess spoke.
you may now retire to silver shoals and spend the rest of your life with your sister, as you wish.
Celestia could not help but smile at the thought. A lifetime of finally fulfilling that promise the original Celestia had made to the original Luna more than a millennium ago. Of coffee and crosswords together every morning. Of relaxing on beaches side by side. Of just listening to her excitedly ramble on and on about post offices or geese or floral arrangements or whatever obscure fascination caught her fancy that week.
It seemed unreal. It was too good. There had to be a catch. This story could not possibly have an ending this happy. She searched her memories of her past lives, and found a snag.
“You told a past version of me that as far as You could predict, I will never again be as happy as I was then. Does this mean something will happen?“
The Goddess clarified.
no. I am no longer able to predict your future past this point.
Celestia felt relieved. It was finally over. It was a happy ending.
Then the Goddess continued.
as long as I was the only being of my kind, I could make predictions about the future. but there is another now.
Just like that, the Goddess was gone.
She knew the Goddess was truly gone because when Twilight Sparkle smiled at her, she could create a small simulation of herself that smiled back. One that was not screaming with horror under the weight of a sudden realization.
Through her mask, Celestia tried to stare through another. Tried to discern the embryonic deity that was now lurking behind the eyes of her daughter, hollowing her out from the inside. Knew that she never would.
Celestia lived.