Ascend

by xTSGx

Royalty.

Princess Celestia sat on her throne. In front of her, lying on a porcelain plate with gold gilding decorating its edges, sat a vol-au-vent stuffed with whipped cream and drizzled in a pomegranate glaze. A teacup and saucer sat next to the decadent pastry, as did a stack of mail.
 
She sighed and poked the pastry with a silver fork.
 
“All I asked for was 'something desserty' to go with my tea. A piece of sheet cake would have sufficed.”
 
The white alicorn took a sip of tea, before she looked over to the pink male unicorn sitting several yards to her right.
 
“This really was a good idea, you know that.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 
“Afternoon tea in between Day Court sessions is an excellent way to unwind before the next group of petitioners arrives.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 
“We should have implemented it years ago.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 
“Solar Flare, how many times have I told you, you don't need to be so formal.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 
Giving up on trying to get her High Overseer to lighten up, Celestia turned her attention to the stack of mail.
 
“I love this part. It makes things seem so, so normal.”
 
She picked up the stack and began to sort through it.
 
“Bill, bill, bill, sock catalog, junk. Ooh, a letter from Twilight! No doubt she's having a panic attack over my inability to instantly communicate with her.” she looked at the writing on the envelope, “It's odd that she would let Spike write so sloppily. Maybe she's finally starting to lighten up. Luna knows she needs to.”
 
Just as she was about to tear the envelope open, the doors to the throne room burst open and a skittish grey earth pony hastily made his way in.
 
“This is awful, just awful! I-It's a disaster!”
 
Celestia raised an eyebrow.
 
“Minister Worry Wort, what's so important that it warrants interrupting afternoon tea?”
 
“It's awful, Your Majesty! That's what it is! You need to—”
 
“No. Minister, the last time something 'awful' happened the kitchen had spoiled milk. Whatever it is, it can wait.” she held up the envelope, “My student has been waiting a whole week for me to read this and I'm going to, before replying. Then we can address whatever 'disaster' occurred. Understand?”
 
Worry Wort nodded nervously.
 
Celestia ripped the envelope open and took out the letter. She lifted the teacup to her mouth to take a sip as she starting reading the letter. Her eyes widened and the teacup slipped from her telekinesis. A moment before it hit the unforgiving ground, Solar Flare's telekinesis grabbed it and set it down gently.
 
“M-Minister, please tell me this has nothing to do with Twilight Sparkle.”
 
He looked nervously at her.
 
“T-This has nothing to d-do with Twilight Sparkle.”
 
Celestia breathed a sigh of relief.
 
“Good, good. I can handle this situation in private without causing a pan—”
 
“U-Uh, Your Majesty?”
 
“Yes, Minister?”
 
“I-I'm bound by m-my oath to you to inform you that the p-previous statement I made was a lie.”
 
Celestia tensed up.
 
“High Overseer, please wake up Princess Luna immediately.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 

Twilight was slammed into a stone wall. She fell limply to the ground. A black alicorn walked up behind her.
 
“Did you really think you could defeat me? With your precious Elements rendered inert, I will claim victory.”
 
The purple unicorn weakly raised her head.
 
“You'll never get away with this!”
 
The alicorn lowered her head to Twilight's.
 
“My dear, I already have.”
 

Luna rolled over in her sleep, a content smile on her face. Her room was darkened and the blue alicorn was curled up under her blanket, a sleep mask covering her eyes. A ragged and stained stuffed blue alicorn was tucked between her hooves.
 
The door to her room burst open.
 
“Your Majesty! Your sister has requested your presence at once.”
 
Luna awoke with a start.
 
“Whgjt? What is it!? Why hast tho—you awoken me?”
 
“Your sister has summoned you.”
 
Luna rolled back over.
 
“Whatever it is, it can wait.”
 
Solar Flare walked over to Luna's bed.
 
“I'm afraid it cannot. An incident has occurred with Miss Twilight Sparkle and it requires your, and your sister's, direct attention.”
 
Luna sat up and took the sleep mask off.
 
“What has befallen Twilight?”
 
Flare looked at Luna.
 
“Article Six has.”
 
The dramatic statement was rendered moot by a confused Luna.
 
“What do you mean 'Article Six'? What have we—er I, said about vague pronouncements?”
 
“Alright then, 'wings have'.”
 
“Wings have what?”
 
“Befallen Twilight, Your Majesty.”
 
Luna put a hoof to her forehead to sooth the throbbing vein.
 
“Overseer, you wake me up in the middle of the day and start babbling on about my sister and Twilight Sparkle. Now. What. Has. Happened?”
 
“Miss Twilight Sparkle has grown wings and become an alicorn, Your Highness.”
 
Luna yawned.
 
“Is that all? I thought something disastrous had occurred.”
 
She lay back down and pulled the blanket over herself.
 
Solar Flare stared at the Lunar Diarch wondering what he should do. A moment later, Luna's wings went rigid.
 
“Overseer?”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
 
“Was I correct in hearing that Twilight has grown wings and is now an alicorn?”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
   

Luna and Solar Flare ran through the hallways of Canterlot Castle towards the throne room.
 
He pulled the slightly bloody cotton ball out of his ear.
 
“I'm sorry, Your Highness, I didn't quite catch that. My hearing has yet to return to its optimal capacity.”
 
Luna snorted.
 
“Of all the mad schemes she could try to pull, this has to be the maddest. What is she thinking!? I mean, rehabilitating Discord is one thing, but this! She—she's—Overseer, what is a modern day idiom that accurately expresses my sister's insanity?”
 
“Uh, 'gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs'? With respect, I don't think Pri—”
 
Luna smiled victoriously.
 
“Yes! She has gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs. Make haste, Overseer. We must stop my sister's plan before she dooms us all.”
 
“But, Your Majesty, Princess Celestia doesn't have a—”
 
“She wants to obtain the sweet baked good and partake in it as well.” Luna looked over to Solar Flare, “I believe that is correct, isn't it?”
 
“Close enough, Your Majesty.”
 
“Excellent! Now hurry!”
 
The two approached the throne room.
 
“Your Majesty, I don't think you have the who—”
 
Luna burst into the throne room. Scattered around the room, two dozen ponies sat, ran, and flailed around in panic. Luna recognized them as members of the Cabinet and their aids. Luna turned her attention to the white alicorn sitting on the throne.
 
“Sister, what is the meaning of this?! Have you partaken in the Cocoa Puffs?”
 
Celestia looked up from her copy of Equestria's Constitution. She took off her reading glasses.
 
“What?”
 
“I thought we agreed that Twilight's 'next level' would be me teaching her, not this!”
 
Archmage Morning Star looked up from a stack of paperwork he was rummaging through and gasped.
 
“'Teaching her'?” he turned to Celestia, “Your Majesty told the Arcane Magic Council you were grooming her to be my successor.”
 
The Speaker of Parliament looked over in confusion.
 
“'Successor'? Your Majesty told Parliament you were preparing her to be Chancellor.”
 
Captain Spitfire stared in shock.
 
“''Chancellor'? That's preposterous! The Princess already clarified to the National Defense Council that Twilight was to be a rebel leader in the event that she was ever overthrown.”
 
The Minister of the Interior looked at them all.
 
“Really? The Ministry of the Interior was always under the impression that Miss Sparkle's ascension was Your Majesty's plan all along.”
 
Luna faced Celestia and raised an eyebrow.
 
“Well, sister?”
 
The white alicorn smiled apologetically.
 
“I wanted to keep my options open.”
 
Luna walked up to Celestia.
 
“I can't believe you did this!”
 
“Me? I didn't do anything. I'm just as shocked by all of this as you. I thought I had seen it all.”
 
Luna turned away from her sister and gazed out into the still panicked Cabinet thoughtfully.
 
“At least it explains those alicorn dreams she's been having.”
 
It was Celestia's turn to be upset.
 
“Wait, you knew about this?! Why on earth didn't you say something?!”
 
“It was a dream—well, several dreams.”
 
Celestia's miffed look didn't let up.
 
“I didn't think it was anything to be concerned about!”
 
The Solar Diarch tried turning Luna into a changeling by burrowing holes into her with her glare.
 
“Especially when she had that dream about the talking ham. Besides, do you really want to know everything our ponies dream about?”
 
Luna gave Celestia a skeptical look. The white alicorn sighed before putting a hoof to her temple.
 
“No, I don't. And I can't blame you either, Luna. It seems that a number of unfortunate circumstances have been brought together to lead to this.”
 
“How are we going to proceed?”
 
“We're going to talk to Twilight when she gets here. Knowing her, she's probably a semi-sane nervous wreck from all of this. Then we have to settle things down.”
 
Luna looked confused.
 
“'Settle down'? What's happened?”
 
Celestia sighed.
 
“Apparently, Twilight was using some sort of changeling illusion spell and decided that testifying before Parliament with it active was a good idea.”
 
Luna cringed.
 
“Oh no.”
 
“Oh yes. She was revealed before the entire Oversight and Reform Committee. And the press. And the cameras broadcasting the meeting live.”
 
The blue alicorn looked up, trying to find some silver lining.
 
“At least it's only a mild panic. It should be no worse than when I returned.”
 
Celestia glared at Spitfire, who shrunk under her gaze.
 
“Did I mention that the National Defense Council freaked out—as usual—and mobilized the entire military in preparation for a changeling invasion?”
 
“Oh dear. So now they think that Twilight is working with the changelings?”
 
Celestia nodded.
 
“That is most troublesome. We will have to assure our little ponies that there is nothing to worry about.”
 
“Agreed.”
 
A guard ran in.
 
“Your Majesties, Twilight Sparkle has arrived.”
 
Celestia looked to Solar Flare.
 
“High Overseer, clear the throne room and prepare for the joint session of the Courts.”
 
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
 

    
 
 
Twilight, surrounded by four guards, was led through the halls of Canterlot Castle. Pandemonium encompassed them. Panicked yelling was heard as various secretaries and assistants ran, flew, and teleported around them. Paper had been kicked into the air and drifted about. Several waste bins were on fire.
 
Her mane was a disheveled mess.
 
'You won't get sent back to Magic Kindergarten. I-It's j-j-just a misunderstanding. T-The Princesses will understand! S-Sure, it's the first joint session of the Courts since the Civil War—b-but that doesn't mean anything!'
 
One of the panicked secretaries ran up and bumped into Twilight. Paperwork was kicked into the air.
 
“Oh, I'm sorry, miss. In all this confusion I—” she looked between Twilight's face and her wings rapidly, “Aaaauuuugggggghhhhhh! The rumors are true! They're true! We're all doomed! Doomed!”
 
Twilight's ear and eye twitched in rapid succession.
 
'Yup. Doesn't mean a thing.'
 
The secretary took off in a different direction, still screaming. She stopped for a moment, picked up a few of the fallen papers, and took off again.
 
The guards and Twilight continued walking.
 
'You'll get everything cleared up with the Princesses. You'll see.'
 
They approached the throne room.
 
'W-Who knows, they might even have a solution.'
 
The guards opened the door to the throne room and Twilight was lead in.
 

 
Princess Celestia sat on her throne. To her immediate right, sat Princess Luna on a folding chair, a scowl on her face.
 
“Nightmare Moon wouldn't be treated this way.” she mumbled.
 
Celestia smiled apologetically.
 
“Please understand, Luna, there hasn't been a joint session of the Courts in over a thousand years. There's no precedent for this sort of thing and we only have one throne.”
 
Luna pouted.
 
“They could have at least gotten me one of the dining room chairs.”
 
“Presenting: Miss Twilight Sparkle.”
 
Both princesses snapped up from their conversation.
 
The nervous alicorn practically crawled her way into the room.
 
“H-Hello, Princess Celestia.” she looked over to Luna, “P-Princess Luna.”
 
“Greetings, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna looked at the alicorn's wings, “It appears that the reports were accurate, sister."
 
Celestia nodded.
 
“Yes it does. So tell us, Twilight, how did this happen?”
 
The stress, fear, and anxiety of the past week finally caught up with Twilight. The dam that was holding things back burst and she cried.
 
“I-I-I don't know, Princess!” she sucked in a breath as tears streamed down her face, “I j-just woke up one day w-with these stupid wings a-and panicked!”
 
Celestia and Luna looked at the sobbing alicorn with concern.
 
“I-I thought th-that I could hide them a-and find a w-way to fix it, s-so I created an illusion spell u-using changeling magic f-from one of my books.”
 
The white alicorn got up to comfort her crying student.
 
“And then P-Parliament wanted to s-see me and m-most of my friends found out!”
 
Celestia looked down at the blubbering alicorn.
 
“I-I-It's all m-my fault, Princess. I'm s-s-so sorry.”
 
The Solar Diarch extended a wing and wrapped it around Twilight to comfort her.
 
“It's okay, Twilight. There's nothing to be sorry for.”
 
Twilight sniffed and looked up.
 
“B-But, the panic! A-And the chaos!”
 
Celestia looked down at Twilight.
 
“Ponies have always been a skittish sort, Twilight. Why, even though they control the weather, there's still some that are terrified every time it rains. If this didn't send them into a panic, something else would have.”
 
“But, w-what about the constitutional crisis! There'll be anarchy.”
 
Luna, feeling left out, decided to join in.
 
“'Constitutional crisis'? Why would there be a constitutional crisis?”
 
Twilight looked over to the Lunar Diarch.
 
“I-I'm an alicorn now. The constitution isn't designed to handle another alicorn.”
 
Luna gave a bemused look.
 
“It seemed to handle Prin—er Empress Cadance just fine.”
 
Celestia shot Luna a look.
 
“Luna, you know she doesn't like that title.”
 
Luna smirked.
 
“Why do you think I use it?”
 
Celestia looked back to Twilight.
 
“You see, Twilight. No crisis. No anarchy. Where did you ever get such an idea?”
 
“Well, there was this book...”
 
The white alicorn sighed.
 
“What did I say about dusty old books?”
 
Twilight looked confused.
 
“But, wasn't I right then?”
 
Celestia waved a hoof dismissively.
 
“That's not important. What is, is that now you don't have to worry about this. We'll take care of everything.”
 
“What's going to happen, Princess?”
 
“I'm not going to lie, Twilight. Your life has just gotten quite a bit more complicated. The next several days are going to be very hectic.”
 
Twilight deflated.
 
“But, you'll have us and your friends to help you out.”
 
“My-My friends? But they're not here.”
 
“Unfortunately, they are being escorted to Canterlot as we speak.”
 
The purple alicorn was shocked.
 
“What?! Why?!”
 
“The military took your unveiling just as badly as the general populace. They wanted to ensure the Bearers were secure in the event of another changeling attack. No doubt, had your brother still been Chair of the Council, then their response would have been far more level headed.”
 
Twilight looked down.
 
'Applejack sure won't be happy.'
 
“What, exactly, am I going to have to do?”
 
“First, there's going to be a press conference to clear up any misunderstandings about you and to assail any fears of the changelings. Then, you're going to have to appear before the High Court to verify that you are, in fact, an alicorn. After that, you can get settled in—spend some time with your friends and family, while Luna and I figure out exactly where to go from here.”
 
Twilight looked up at Celestia hesitantly.
 
“Don't worry, Twilight. Everything will be just fine. Now, you have to get ready for that press conference. We can't have an alicorn appear in her formal introduction stained with tears, now can we?”
 
Twilight smiled.
 
“No, I guess not.”
 
Celestia and Twilight stood up.
 
“Have Solar Flare help.”
 
“Is he still as stuffy as I remember?”
 
“Oh no.” Celestia leaned in, “ He's gotten worse.”
 
Twilight and Celestia shared a laugh before the purple alicorn left.
 
Luna walked up next to Celestia.
 
“Tis good that you decided to cancel our vacation. Things will be getting far too hectic.”
 
Celestia looked over to Luna.
 
“'Cancel'? I'm not canceling anything.”
 
“What?! But, sister, things will become much too chaotic if we depart. Twilight's predictions of anarchy may yet come true.”
 
“No, Luna. If I didn't cancel things when the griffins launched their invasion fleet or when the nobility got restless then I'm not doing it now.” she nuzzled Luna, “Especially with it being your first vacation back.”
 
“You'd risk the stability of the country?”
 
“If there's one lesson Equestria always has to learn, it's that we may not be here forever.” Celestia laughed, “Who knows, maybe we're going to kick the bucket and that's why Twilight's an alicorn.”
 
Luna looked confused.
 
“Why would us kicking a bucket be the reason for Twilight's ascension?”
 
“I see you still haven't read that book I gave you about idioms. Die, Luna, 'kicking the bucket' means 'die'.”
 
Luna rushed over.
 
“Die! Are you ill, sister?”
 
“Of course not. I'm perfectly fine. I was joking, Luna. Do you think I'd hide something like that? That would send Equestria into anarchy. The point I'm trying to make, is that, even though neither of us have any intention of dying anytime soon, if and when it does happen, Equestria needs to be ready. Why do you think I set up these vacations in the first place?”
 
“I always assumed it was to take a break.”
 
Celestia walked over to one of the windows. Luna trailed behind.
 
“That's definitely a bonus, yes, but the real reason is to test Equestria. One day we won't be here and our little ponies will have to lead themselves. They won't have us to fix their problems or protect them from others. These vacations are important to help them prepare for when that day comes. Do you see why we can't postpone it?”
 
“Sort of.”
 
“When something unexpected or disastrous strikes them, they won't be able to 'postpone' it. They'll have to face it head on. They'll have to be ready.”

“But is Twilight?”
 
The white alicorn looked out the window.
 
“I hope so, Luna. I hope so.”