“Princess, it’s almost time,” Twilight said in a quiet voice as she approached her mentor’s side. The alicorn glanced back for a moment at her faithful student – no, at this point, her closest friend – before turning her attention back to the view her personal balcony afforded her. The sky practically glowed with a multitude of colours, the reds and oranges of sunset quickly deepening into the purples and blues of Twilight’s namesake, and she could make out the faint roar of the crowd far below, gathered in the common square before the pronouncement balcony.
“You shouldn’t call me that, Twilight. ‘Princess.’ Soon enough, it shall no longer be my title to bear.” Celestia turned to look back at Twilight again, a wry smirk playing on her features. “Thanks in no small part to you, I should add.”
Predictable as always, Twilight began to stutter and stammer as she struggled to find her words. “I-I can call everything off if you want, Princess! I can call Pinkie here in an instant, she can make it all seem like one big elaborate prank, and everypony will laugh! We don’t—”
Like so many times in the past, like the day Celestia had taken her under her wing to guide her, all it took was one gold-encased hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to calm her down. “No, Twilight, this is right. Your idea is… right. Forgive an old mare her nostalgic tears, for I truly am looking forward to what is coming. I worry that you might not make the transition as easily if you cling to that title, though.”
Twilight shook her head violently, as though denying the thought entry, before she looked up at her mentor. After a visible effort, she said, “…Celestia, you’ll always be my Princess, no matter what your title actually is.”
“And what of us, Twilight Sparkle?” a deeper voice echoed through the chamber, and Twilight turned to see Princess Luna entering the chamber, a faint grin on her face. “Do we hold such a hallowed place in thy heart?”
“Um, of course, Princess Luna! Well, um, not as much, but through no fault of yours, it’s just, well, Princess Celestia taught me for—”
Celestia tsk-tsked at Luna as her horn lit up, her magic helping smooth the creases that had appeared in Twilight’s outfit – a smart business ensemble custom-crafted by Rarity – as she gave her sister a playfully cross look. “Now, now, Luna, no need to be jealous. And why have you fallen back into that terrible habit of misusing the Royal We?”
“Quite simple, my dear sister,” Luna explained, her smile growing wider. “After today, I shall not be able to use it, so best to take advantage while I still can, right?” The thought drew chuckles from both Celestia and Twilight. “Anyway, it is time. Shall we make our way to the pronouncement balcony?”
“Friends, all of you, we are gathered here today to witness history in the making, to bring about a new age of peace and equality.” Celestia’s millenia of delivering speeches served her well, her proud, clear voice needing no magical enhancement to reach even the further members of the assembled crowd.
“Make no mistake; I am proud of the nation of Equestria. For thousands of years, it has stood as an example of peace and harmony. But as we are all aware, this peace was not afforded to all. Ponies came together to form this nation, but the three tribes of ponykind barely got along with each other; no consideration was given to any of the other sentients of the world, griffons and bovines, donkeys and minotaurs. Even the name Equestria, borne from the word ‘equine,’ denoted this as a nation for ponies.
“But such short-sighted views are a relic of the past! Today, creatures of all types embrace each other in friendship, and though there are a few who would use our differences to separate us, more and more celebrate our individuality.” Celestia’s horn began to glow, finished the task of setting the sun beneath the horizon, and beside her, Luna’s own horn began the task of raising the moon.
“Tonight, the sun sets for the final time on the nation of Equestria.” Celestia paused for a moment, both for effect and to take a final chance to accept it herself.
“But tomorrow, the dawn shall bring the birth of the new nation of Harmony!”