The party at Twilight’s castle was lively, but certainly not a “Rager” as the kids would say. Or did the kids even still say that?
Spike and Shining took a bean bag chair off to the castle’s Entertainment room. Princess Twilight was nursing a glass of wine with Rarity. Applejack, Fluttershy, Discord, and Pinkie Pie were enraptured by a story from the feeble Princess Luna. Cheese Sandwich was off likely caring to the little ones.
Rainbow Dash watched on with a glass of cider and the faintest hint of a smile. It’s been a long time. She had lived the life that thousands would have killed for. Now leader of the Wonderbolts Academy, training the greatest fliers of the upcoming generation. But once… the greatest. The fastest flier in Equestria.
“Having a nice time?” asked an old, caring voice.
Rainbow Dash was pulled from her reverie to look to her approaching friend.
Princess Celestia… Mother Celestia as she preferred to be called now, was certainly a surprising sight for anypony who had known her during her thousand year reign. Alicorn aging was still a deeply studied subject by Sunburst and Princess Twilight. While Celestia was certainly more spry and able-bodied than Granny Smith in her golden years, it was undeniable there was a dullness to her mane, a wrinkle to her features, but the same warmth in her smile.
“Of course, Princess,” Rainbow said.
“Celestia,” she gently corrected. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been a Princess, Rainbow Dash.”
“I suppose,” Rainbow said. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”
Celestia nodded, and poofed a glass of wine into existence.
“I find that the alcohol summoning spells are the only spells that somehow remain easy to cast into my retirement,” Celestia said. “I was once the most powerful sorceress in all of Equestria. And now my greatest skill is wine at a moment’s notice. Not that I’m complaining by any means.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled and raised a mug of cider.
“I hear you. I’m still no slouch, but some newbie at the academy just broke my last uncontested record. Who gave Time the right to make us lose our talent rather than improve it?” she asked.
“Probably Discord,” Celestia said, taking a sip of wine.
“Somepony should probably turn that guy to stone,” Rainbow whispered.
Just then, a miniature version of the draconicus crawled it’s way out of Rainbow Dash’s cider and wiped itself with a towel.
“I’ll have you know I heard that,” he said snidely.
Rainbow Dash brushed the lord of chaos off her mug, and looked in revulsion at her now tainted drink. Celestia chuckled gently.
“I’ve got that for you.”
Princess Celestia’s horn glowed a bright gold and turned the cider into a glass of wine.
“Thanks,” Rainbow said.
“To once being the best and brightest of our generations.” Celestia raised her glass to her friend.
“Well, I don’t know about brightest, but…”
Rainbow raised her glass in turn and looked to the glass.
“How did you handle it?” Rainbow asked gently.
Celestia let out a gentle hmm as she swallowed her sip.
“Not being… well. The best anymore,” Rainbow asked. “I mean. I’ve had my fair share of servings of humble pie. And once upon a time, I really needed it. But now I can feel myself… being less important by the day. The fliers are even beginning to fall asleep in my classes. Can you believe I used to be the cool teacher?”
“I think I could see that, if I squint hard enough,” Celestia teased. “You used to being cool, that is.”
“Hah,” Rainbow said dryly. “But I mean it. While Twilight was growing up. Or when you retired and gave over so many of your responsibilities, how did you deal with that… hole. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
“The feeling that you could have done better, when there’s now proof that others are doing better than you could at your best?” Celestia asked.
Rainbow opened her mouth to respond, but the words almost hurt her. They were accurate. Too accurate.
“Yeah,” she said almost dejectedly. “So, you definitely know.”
“It took a lot of soul searching to put words to the feeling. And maybe my words are too strong. At least, I feel they are. Now that I’ve had time to think about the feeling.”
Rainbow turned to her, her attention pulled in like a daughter to their mother, seeking advice.
“So?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, first, take a sip of that Marelot. Discord might pop in that, and it would be a waste of good wine.”
Rainbow blinked blankly, then took a sip of the wine.
“And, I suppose there’s a certain power in being the greatest, strongest, fastest or what have you. It’s easy to feel important. Like you’re needed. But the more that I age, the more I begin to think that it’s even greater to be the ones who train the next best and brightest. There’s a power in helping creatures spread good, grow stronger, or do impressive feats even when you aren’t needed anymore. It’s like leaving a legacy. Maybe not something written down or left in stone. Not as if that stands for much.”
Rainbow Dash looked down to the wine. Celestia also looked at the glass curiously.
“Hmm. Even chaos gets old eventually,” Celestia said.
Rainbow drank the wine and set her glass down.
“It makes sense to me,” Rainbow says. “It just feels like I’m not enough anymore. I guess I just don’t like the feeling that… it’s like getting out and pushing the wagon forward when a wheel breaks. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do it anymore.”
Celestia smiled.
“Well, you aren’t alone in pushing, are you? After all, who do you think was pushing before you were?” She asked.
Rainbow smiled wryly.
“I didn’t just push Twilight to grow, but you too. And now you’re inspiring your own fliers, students of friendship, and even more fillies and colts across Equestria and beyond. Just by your legacy, you help inspire and bring more creatures to push the wagon.”
Rainbow smiled.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “You always had a way of giving the best motherly advice.”
“Oh, so you see me like a mother?” Celestia asked. “That’s a shame. I always thought you were pretty cute. Unless that’s not a problem for you.”
Rainbow turned to Celestia in shock.
“What? Am I not allowed to make dirty grandmare jokes? You youngsters, I swear. Can’t take a joke.” Celestia said with a laugh.
Rainbow smiled as she bumped a hoof into Celestia’s side.
The snow fell gently outside, over a kingdom whose books were being filled with new, and wondrous stories that didn’t include them. But that was fine. Time couldn’t tear away or rust the most important thing that resided not just in those who attended Princess Twilight’s Hearth’s Warming, but in all of the creatures who dared to be great across Equestria.
Heart.