“Auntie Dash? You’d better come outside.” Apple Sprout’s voice had a strange quaver to it.
“Yeah?” said Rainbow. “What is it?”
“Rarity’s here to see you.”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “What’s she doing out of the hospital?”
Apple Sprout opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Fine, be that way.” She brushed past Apple Sprout and made her way out of the farmhouse.
What she saw outside took her breath away. Rarity was galloping among the leafless apple trees on lithe, muscular legs that shone whiter than the thin crust of snow beneath her hooves. She wore an expression of gleeful abandon that Rainbow Dash hadn’t seen on her face since, well, ever. A pair of marmoreal wings were tucked neatly against her sides.
Rainbow squealed with joy and darted out to meet her. Rarity turned towards her and let out a whoop. Her gait was shaky from disuse, but put she on a burst of speed regardless.
As they came together, Rainbow Dash leaped forward and threw a wild embrace around her friend. Rarity lost her tenuous balance, and the two of them tumbled to the ground. Rainbow Dash clutched Rarity with all her might and buried her face in her shoulder, laughing until tears ran down her face. The two of them rolled in the half-frozen grass, shrieking and giggling like foals. It was several minutes before they disentangled. Rainbow picked herself up carefully while Rarity bounced to her hooves. Her radiant coat was streaked with dirt and snow, but for once Rarity didn’t seem to care.
“Wow,” Rainbow Dash managed. “You look… wow.” Rarity’s body could have belonged to an athlete. Her horn was longer and finer, yet it somehow seemed more solid, more real, than ever before. And those wings. Sun and Moon, those wings. They were graceful, powerful, sleek… even during her prime, Rainbow Dash would have done anything for wings like those.
“I know!” said Rarity. “Did you see me run? Stars and fishes, I can run!”
“Running’s alright.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Have you tried flying?”
“Teach me how!” Rarity hopped from hoof to hoof. “Show me show me show me!”
“There’s nothing to teach! You just flap your wings and, y’know, fly.”
The words had barely left her mouth before Rarity was off, hooves kicking up snow as she picked up speed. She spread her wings and leaped for the sky.
Her flight was short-lived. She beat her wings once, but that only sent her into a wild roll. Moments later, Rarity crashed shoulder-first into the earth.
Rainbow rushed to her side. “Whoa! You okay, there?”
“Yes! I’m okay!” Rarity laughed aloud. “I fell down but I’m okay!”
“Flying takes some getting used to,” said Twilight. Rainbow Dash did a double-take; she had been so focused on Rarity, she hadn’t even noticed Twilight. “It’ll come to you soon enough. It did for me.”
“Oh,” said Rainbow. “Hi.”
The two of them faced each other. Rainbow started to speak, then cut herself off. Twilight’s gaze flicked between Rainbow Dash’s face and her hooves. Finally Rainbow broke the silence. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re up next,” said Twilight.
Rainbow Dash was taken aback. “You’re sure?”
“Well, that’s why we came here right after Carousel Boutique. But if you’re having second thoughts—”
“No way!” said Rainbow. “I’m just surprised. I thought, even if you did this, you’d be taking it slow, right?”
Twilight sighed. “There’d be no point. If I’m wrong about this, it’s way too late to turn back.”
“You’re not wrong,” said Rainbow Dash. “C’mon, Twilight, just look at her.”
Rarity stood and shook herself, throwing off a shower of ice and dirt. “I’ll warn you, the transformation is no easy task. We were at it for quite some time.”
Twilight nodded. “Nineteen hours, to be precise. Six Elements is a lot for one pony to handle.”
“Well then,” said Rainbow Dash, “I guess we’d better get started.”
Minutes later, Twilight Sparkle stood by the side of Rainbow’s bed. The door was firmly shut, and Rarity stood watch outside to make sure none of the Apples disturbed them. Rainbow Dash lay flat with her forelegs dangling over the side of the bed. Twilight searched for a way to break the silence and found nothing.
“I gotta ask,” said Rainbow, “why do this for me? I’m super glad, don’t get me wrong. I just thought you’d be pretty mad at me.”
“Well, I am,” said Twilight. “I reached out to you over and over, and every time you just used it as a chance to take another shot at me. When we have time, I plan to spend a while being very loud and telling you what an awful pony you are. I just don’t hate you enough to want you, y’know, dead.”
Rainbow nodded. “I get that. For what it’s worth, thanks.”
Twilight didn’t want to think about this. “Let’s just focus on our task, now, alright? Close your eyes and breathe deeply.” When she did, Twilight went on. “Try to stay relaxed. We don’t have six Bearers, so I’ll need your mind to be especially stable. Center your mind on your pegasus magic, the part you use to manipulate weather.”
Rainbow’s wings twitched once, then again. “I’m focused,” she said. “Now what?”
“Now I use the mind-merge spell. That will create the channel between us. I’ll use that to hit you with the Elements’ power, like you did for me, way back when. Then you have to… well, you’ll see.” Twilight had never told a soul about the dialogue, or perhaps the visions, that had accompanied her transformation. “I don’t know how much I can help with that part. Are you ready?”
A grin split Rainbow Dash’s face. “Ready.”
“Okay,” said Twilight. “Here goes.” She wove together the mind-merge spell, binding her own consciousness to Rainbow Dash’s. She brushed the shell of the other pony’s mind—a taut, flat facade of determination and hope—and plunged beneath.
Twilight reeled back. Immersing herself in the contempt broiling beneath the surface of Rainbow’s mind was like plunging into a pool of lukewarm mud. She nearly broke the connection on sheer reflex, but managed to hang on. Her task was too important to let herself slip. As Twilight reoriented herself, she realized that she was herself the target of Rainbow Dash’s disgust. She had known Rainbow was unhappy with her, but the depths of it… Twilight had never hated another pony half that much in her life.
Twilight tried to put that out of her mind. She had a job to do. She focused on each Element in turn, drawing forth its power and holding it firmly in reserve. Summoning Magic was as easy as breathing. Generosity was more difficult, and she had to keep both Elements active while she focused on summoning Kindness. Some hours later, when she came to Loyalty, she felt Rainbow Dash following her every thought. She also felt Rainbow’s barely-repressed contempt still spilling through. Twilight had learned the technique of integrating all her emotions into her magic, but that proved useless on assimilating somepony else’s emotions. She sensed Rainbow Dash sensing Twilight’s own discomfort. Rainbow tried not to think about her disgust, but predictably, that only brought it to the front of her mind. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from focusing on Rainbow Dash focusing on Twilight focusing on Rainbow Dash’s rancor. Her control wavered, and she lost the thread of her magic.
Twilight opened her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t do this. The, uh, the way you feel about me is too distracting. You’ll have to get Rarity to do it, I guess.”
“I get it,” Rainbow said. Sweat beaded her face. “If I were you, I guess I wouldn’t want to see inside my head either.”
Twilight swallowed. “I had no idea you felt so… heated.”
Rainbow Dash looked at everything except Twilight. “Look, I want to be nice to you right now. You just saved Rarity, and you tried to save me. That’s important. Like, real important. But if you’re already reading my mind, then yeah. You killed Fluttershy. Maybe I don’t think about that all the time, and I’m trying not to right now, but it’s there. It’s not going away. I don’t think I want it to, either.” From what she saw of Rainbow’s face, Twilight was glad she wasn’t looking her in the eyes.
Twilight changed the subject. “It might take longer, with Rarity casting the spell instead of me, but she should be capable of it. She should have the power to draw on all six Elements now, and she’ll have no trouble with the mind-merge spell.”
“Cool.” Rainbow Dash pushed herself into a sitting position. “Thanks for trying, I guess. I’ll ask her tomorrow, once she’s a bit settled in.”
Twilight stood on the frost-covered grass, watching her friends soar overhead. Rarity bobbed and tilted as she followed Rainbow Dash through the air, matching the old pegasus’s speed, if not her grace. Rainbow Dash had insisted on being the one to teach Rarity to fly, and although her tutelage consisted of pure example with no actual instruction to speak of, Rarity seemed to be learning. More importantly, both ponies were having the time of their lives, judging by their shouts and laughter.
A riot of color appeared in Twilight’s peripheral vision as Princess Cadence stepped up to her side. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle.” Her voice was heavy with disappointment. “What have you done?”
“Something I should’ve done a long time ago.” Twilight couldn’t tear her eyes away from her friends’ play. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice level.
“I came to visit Rarity. When the doctors told me what happened, I didn’t want to believe them.”
“I’m sorry,” said Twilight. Then, on second thought, “No, actually, I’m not. Everypony should have this. You can’t look at how happy she is and tell me this was a mistake.”
“This was a mistake!” said Cadence. “Mistake doesn’t begin to cover it! This is the biggest mistake anypony has made in a thousand years. You know better than this, Twilight. You know things aren’t as simple as you want them to be. I have no idea what I’m going to tell Celestia.”
Twilight winced. She had been trying not to think about Celestia. “Please don’t,” she said softly. “She should hear about this from me.”
“Then why haven’t you told her?”
“It’s hard. Please, just give me time. I want to do this the right way. Trust me.”
Cadence dug a rut in the snow with a forehoof. “Your brother would’ve given you a chance. I’m trying to be more like him.” Her face hardened. “But not in this. As much as I want to trust you, you’ve lost that right. We all gave up so much to keep this from happening, and you threw it all away. For his sake, I’ll give you one day, but no more. Come clean to Celestia and accept responsibility for what you’ve done. I’ll tell her tomorrow. If you want to do it yourself, do it before then.”
“Thank you.” Twilight couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Cadence stared at her for long seconds with her mouth half-open. “Sometimes I forget how young you are,” she said. “Celestia will talk sense into you. Don’t do anything crazy before then.” Cadence disappeared in a flash of magic.
Twilight looked up. Her friends had been too engrossed in their acrobatics to notice Cadence’s arrival, it seemed. They were spiraling higher and higher. Twilight tried to go back to watching them, but her thoughts kept turning to Celestia. How would she ever explain this? She had to make Celestia understand. If not… if not…
“Woo! Way to go, Rarity!” Rainbow Dash’s voice was suddenly close. “Twilight! Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash swooped low and hovered before her. “Did you see that?”
“What?” said Twilight. “No, sorry.”
“Aw, man, it was great! Rarity can already dive faster than I can. I mean, she’s faster than me! She’s making this look easy.”
Rarity descended, hovering more or less beside Rainbow Dash. “Looks can be deceiving, darling. I feel as though these new wings are about to fall off.”
“I’m pretty tired too,” said Rainbow Dash. “Let’s pick this up tomorrow, after you make me a princess.”
“Wait a minute,” said Sunstone. “Mom’s changing her into a princess?”
Princess Twilight nodded. “They'll be busy for a while. The transformation could take as long as a day, maybe more.”
Center Stage stood speechless. Things were changing so fast, he could hardly keep up. He still found it hard to believe his wife was a princess. A princess was supposed to be a distant paragon of wisdom and grace, not a pony who pretended to like his cooking and snored like a sawmill.
“Okay,” said Sunstone. “She’s changing Miss Dash into a princess?”
“Yes.” Twilight’s brow creased. “Is that a problem?”
“Well,” said Center Stage, “she doesn’t seem like the princess type. I can’t quite picture her wearing a tiara and holding court.”
Twilight shook her head. “That’s not the point. This is about immortality. I want to make sure she doesn’t die, and that’s all.”
“All?” said Center Stage. “The eternal youth seems pretty good too.”
“You know what I mean. This is about the physical and magical transformation, not her social position. And because of that, I don’t plan on stopping with Rainbow Dash. I’ll transform anypony who wants it. Starting with you two.”
Center Stage’s brain tried to process that, and failed completely.
“What,” said Sunstone.
“You heard me. You’ll be like Rarity and me. You can live forever, and so can the rest of Ponyville. The rest of Equestria.”
Sunstone looked puzzled. “What made Princess Celestia change her mind about that?”
“Um.” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. “I may not be doing this with her blessing, exactly.”
Sunstone blanched. “You didn’t.”
“I did! I had to! I thought you wanted me to do this.”
“I guess,” said Sunstone. “I don’t know! I’m glad you saved Mom. But… every pony, everywhere? That’s going too far.”
“Why? Everypony is somepony’s mom or son or sister or something. How can it be right for Rarity but wrong for others?”
Sunstone paused to think. “It feels like it should only be for special ponies. Mom was one thing. She’s the Element of Generosity. Me, though? I’m just a regular pony.”
“Huh,” said Center Stage. “For some reason, I never thought you as just a regular pony.”
Twilight sighed. “I don’t want to force you to do anything. The option’s there if you want to take it.”
“Well,” said Center Stage, “I just might.”
“Dad!” Sunstone shot him a sharp look.
“Hey, it’s worth thinking about, at least,” said Center Stage. “It’s not every day you get an offer like this.”
Rainbow Dash lay on the chaise longue in Rarity’s parlour. The cushions were uncomfortably soft, and the room still had an antiseptic hospital smell to it. Rainbow remembered how weak Rarity had been, the last time they had met in this room.
“So what’s it like, turning into a princess?” Rainbow asked. “Twilight told me what happens, kinda, but she didn’t say how it feels.”
“It’s hard to put into words.” Rarity didn’t stop pacing as she spoke. Rainbow hadn’t seen her stand still for more than a minute or two since her transformation. “Getting there takes a lot of hard work, but once the transformation happens, it just feels right. The process was long and frustrating, however. You’ll have to keep your mind still while I weave the spell around you.” With Rarity’s family and Twilight outside, the two of them were alone in the overdecorated parlour.
Rainbow Dash nodded. “So you can use that spell, now that you’re all princessed up?”
“That and more. Magic was never my strong suit, but today I believe I could outmatch any unicorn. Now, if you’ll permit me?”
“Yeah. Let’s get this done.”
A bright aura popped into being around Rarity’s horn. For the second time in two days, Rainbow Dash felt another mind join hers. Rarity’s thoughts and emotions were as accessible as her own, to the point where it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Twilight’s mind had been a tangled knot of nervous determination, but Rarity was a sparkling field of joy, still reveling in her sudden vigor.
Rarity turned her thoughts inward and meditated. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have imagined Rarity to have such powerful focus, but her skill was impressive. Rainbow followed her mental example. Such competent meditation would normally have been beyond her, but by copying the techniques she felt Rarity using, Rainbow was able to keep up. Some time later—whether minutes or hours she couldn’t say—Rainbow Dash felt herself in a state of calm, focused awareness.
“Well done. That’s the first step.” It took Rainbow a moment to realize she was hearing Rarity’s actual voice. The words came half a heartbeat after the concepts formed in her head. “Now focus on your weather magic. You’ll use it as a tether to keep your soul still. I’ll show you how.”
Rainbow Dash felt Rarity’s focus shift to her wings and tried to follow suit. It proved difficult; Rarity grasped her own magic with an ease and strength that Rainbow had never realized was possible. Despite a lifetime of experience with her innate magic, Rainbow Dash felt like a novice by comparison. It took several tries, but eventually Rainbow achieved a degree of focus that Rarity must have found acceptable, for she felt a wave of approval through their connected minds.
Rarity’s mind slipped deeper, following her magic to blaze a trail into the depths of her subconscious. Rainbow Dash concentrated on maintaining her own state. Rarity was deep in her trance, sending her mind through arcane patterns that made no sense to Rainbow Dash.
After an unknowable amount of time, there was a surge of unfamiliar power. A second surge followed some time later, this one subtly different. The third surge she recognized as pure primordial Loyalty. They were coming closer, now. Four, five, and finally six. A wave of bright shining wholeness crashed towards her, rushing through the channel from Rarity’s mind. It washed over her, tumbled her upside down, sent her spinning through her subconscious, and then…
Rainbow Dash found herself facing two copies of herself, one an earth pony, the other a unicorn. She wasn’t certain where she was. Perhaps it was a rumbling train car, or a starlit orchard, or maybe a bank of clouds. Somehow it didn’t seem important.
“So, what,” said Rainbow Dash, “are we supposed to magic ourselves into one pony now?”
“I dunno,” said Unicorn Rainbow Dash. “I’m not sure I want to be part of you.”
“Huh?”
“Well, we’re supposed to be Loyalty, right? But you’ve been nothing but trouble for Twilight lately. That’s not what I want to be.”
“Hey,” said Rainbow Dash, “I’ve been as nice to her as I can, since she princessed Rarity.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Unicorn Rainbow Dash. “That’s just tolerance, though. That’s not love. That’s not friendship.”
“Oh, come on,” said Earth Pony Rainbow Dash. “Loyalty doesn’t mean being nice to everypony ever. It means staying true to ponies who deserve it. Twilight gave that up when she killed Fluttershy. I’d rather we stay loyal to Fluttershy.” She stomped a hoof. “Twilight earned what we gave her.”
“Fluttershy’s dead, though,” said Unicorn Rainbow Dash. “There isn’t anypony to be loyal to. Twilight’s still around.”
“So?” said Earth Dash. “We still have to stay loyal to what Fluttershy was. That doesn’t include buddying up to the pony who made her die.”
“Whoa there,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m mad at Twilight, but I dunno if that’s loyalty talking. Fluttershy told me—told us—me—whatever, she said not to get mad at Twilight. Maybe she was wrong, but that’s what she wanted.”
Earth Dash shrugged. “Fluttershy never looked out for herself enough. The way I see it, that just makes it more important that we stay loyal to her. I mean, she wasn’t gonna do that for herself, so somepony’s gotta.”
“Well, what about Rarity?” said Unicorn Dash. “Doesn’t it matter that Twilight made her immortal? I don’t know if anything can make up for letting Fluttershy die, but saving Rarity comes close.”
“Hold it,” said Dash. She was thoroughly confused by now. “How am I supposed to combine with both of you if you’re telling me opposite things?”
Unicorn Dash shrugged. “Dunno. I’m you, remember? I don’t know anything you don’t.”
“Yeah,” said Earth Dash. “Maybe you’re supposed to pick which one of us is right.”
“No.” Dash paced before her counterparts. “You’re both right, kinda. I can’t leave Twilight behind. Maybe I hate her, but I guess she’s still my friend. No way I could hate her this much if she weren’t. If I ditch my friends when things get tough, then I’m no better than Twilight. I have to stay faithful to Fluttershy too, it doesn’t matter if she’s dead. That’s obvious. I just don’t know how.”
“Well,” said Earth Dash, “what would Fluttershy want, if she were here? That’s about as good as we’re gonna do.”
“She wouldn’t want me to take revenge. That’s pretty much the opposite of what Fluttershy was about. If I’m gonna stay loyal to what Fluttershy was, that means I gotta focus on kindness. And I guess that means I even have to forgive Twilight for what she did.”
“Whoa whoa whoa!” said Earth Dash. “Let’s not go crazy. There’s no excuse for what she did. I mean, killing Fluttershy? Forgiving that is… is… it’s impossible!”
“So?” said Dash. “I do impossible things all the time.”
“It wouldn’t be forgiving her if she hadn’t done something unforgivable,” said Unicorn Dash. “That’s what forgiveness is.”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash set her jaw. “What’s right for Fluttershy is also what’s right for Twilight, so that’s what we’re gonna do.” She felt a queer sensation in the back of her mind, like a harmonious pressure growing stronger and stronger.
“Okay,” said Unicorn Dash. “But out of curiosity, is this what’s right for us?”
The other two shot her twin looks of incredulity. “Who cares?” said Earth Dash.
“There’s no difference,” said Dash.
“Yeah.” Unicorn Dash nodded. “Okay, yeah.”
They looked at each other. “So, uh.” Earth Dash pawed at the ground. “That’s settled. How do we do this soul-merge thing?”
“I feel kinda funny, actually,” said Rainbow Dash. “I think maybe we just did.”
The pressure in her head reached a crescendo. There was a surge of rightness and peace, and then she was looking through three sets of eyes. “Whoa,” her three bodies said in unison. “Weird.” Rainbow Dash stretched her pegasus body’s wings, watching the movement from her other two perspectives.
The three Rainbow Dashes edged closer together until they were close enough to touch. Pegasus Dash laid a hoof on Unicorn Dash’s shoulder. A jolt ran through her from her tail to the tips of her wings. Somehow she had never noticed the magic in the world all around her, but now it was so obvious. She closed her eyes. Magic hung in the air like mist, it covered the ground like moss, it suffused her body and gathered around the base of her horn.
Wait. Horn?
Earth Dash stepped forward and touched Pegasus Dash. She felt stable, dense, powerful. She felt her heart pumping, her blood flowing, her liver working. She felt every part of herself acting in harmony to keep the whole alive.
When Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, Rarity was beaming down at her. “Congratulations, darling.”
Twilight was in the storefront of the boutique, admiring Sunstone’s designs. Before long, Rainbow Dash’s transformation would be complete, and the three of them would have to figure out what to do. Until then, though, she could stop thinking about how to steer Equestria’s fate. Until then, she could just be a pony looking at pretty things.
Rarity pranced into the room. “Guess what, Twilight! We’re finished!”
“That’s impossible,” Twilight said. “You’ve only been in there for three hours.”
Rainbow Dash followed her in, bearing a six-colored horn. “What do I keep telling you ponies about impossible things?” Her body had regained the sheen and grace of youth, but kept the strength and bulk that decades of farm work had given her.
“What? But how?” said Twilight. Rarity’s transformation had taken a whole day, Twilight’s nearly as long. Twilight wasn’t jealous, she was just confused. Okay, maybe a little jealous.
“I don’t know,” said Rarity. “I was doing what you showed me, and it was so much clearer than before, as if something were leading me. It was… oh, this is going to sound silly. It reminded me of when I got my cutie mark.”
“That could be it,” said Twilight. “I don’t fully understand alicorn special talents, but they’re powerful. Maybe yours is making other alicorns.”
Rainbow Dash gave Rarity a friendly nudge. “Hah! Not bad for generosity.”
There was a booming knock at the front door. Before Rarity could reach it, the door flew open. Princess Celestia stalked in with fury blazing across her face. “Twilight Sparkle! What is the meaning of this?” Her coat shimmered with white-hot light, and smoke rose from her throat with every word. At her side came Princess Luna, cold and unsmiling.
Twilight’s mouth worked soundlessly. She felt as if her insides were trying to crawl out through her throat. Finally she found her voice. “P-Princess Celestia! I meant to tell you, really I did. I, um, I had to do this.”
“I never expected such weakness from you.”
“This isn’t weakness! This is exactly what I meant to do. I remember everything you said to me, before. I know you don’t think my friends can handle this. You, you...” Twilight hesitated. It had been hard enough to consider the thought, but saying it to Celestia’s face went against everything Twilight had ever been. She said it anyway. “You’re wrong.”
Celestia’s mouth was a taut line. “I thought you had more respect for my teachings than that.”
“You were the best teacher I could’ve asked for. I’ve never done anything but try to live up to that. You taught me that friendship is the most important thing in the world, that I should always be there for my friends no matter what.” Twilight’s voice was soft and tremulous. “I remember when the Crystal Empire reappeared. You taught me that doing the right thing is more important than doing what I’m told.” She faltered, but recovered quickly. “More important than whether you love me.”
“You learned the wrong lesson,” said Celestia. “That test was meant to show you the importance of self-sacrifice. I thought you understood, but it seems there are still sacrifices you won’t make, even to protect everyone else.” She let out a sound that was half growl, half sigh. “Maybe I just misinterpreted our relationship. I had always assumed you cared for me as much as I cared for you. Perhaps that was just wishful thinking.”
“That,” said Twilight, “that’s not what this is about. I know you want what's best for Equestria. I do, too. Equestria is nothing except the ponies who live here, and I just want them to keep living. What you said before, about how ponies living forever would make it harder for younger generations to make their mark… it’s not wrong, it’s just less important. Maybe I never would’ve been made Archmage if Mom were still in that position, but I’d be happier if she were still alive. And, and so would she.
“Please listen to me. I know I’m not going to convince the other princesses. Luna’s fixated on what happened to her, and nothing I say will change that. Cadence… well, she refused to transform her own children. I can imagine what that must be like. If I’d done that, I’d never be able to admit it was wrong, not without completely destroying myself.”
Celestia gave a bitter laugh. “You think you can imagine what it’s like to lose a child?”
Realization dawned. “Cadence wasn’t the only princess who had children,” Twilight said slowly. “You were—”
“Be careful, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “Be very, very careful.”
Twilight froze, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make the situation even worse.
“What wilt thou do now?” If Luna was angry, there was no sign of it. “Surely thou dost not expect to return to Canterlot, after this.”
Twilight looked to Celestia, who confirmed her sister’s words with a nod. “There is no second chance, after what you’ve done. If you had come to me with your doubts… but I would never have told you what you wanted to hear. You acted, instead. And now…” Celestia glowered.
Twilight managed not to retch, although it felt as if the world were swaying beneath her. “I don’t… I guess I’ll have to stay here for a while. There are lots of other ponies I have to transform.”
“No,” said Celestia. White-orange sparks crackled from her mane. “You’ve gone too far already.”
Rainbow Dash stepped forward. “Sorry, Princess, but you can’t stop us.”
“I can.” Celestia’s horn glowed, and the air grew warmer. “I banished my own sister for less. I should do the same to you three.” Twilight sensed reality grow strained as Celestia gathered magic about herself.
Twilight saw Rainbow Dash tense for a fight, but she couldn’t bring herself to follow suit. She wasn’t that far gone. Twilight looked down and tried to brace herself. “At least we’ll still be together.”
“It will not come to that.” Luna stepped between Celestia and Twilight. “I will not allow it.”
“If we leave them be,” said Celestia, “they’ll destroy our entire civilization.” Her eyes never left Twilight.
“I know. Nothing short of banishment will deter them, yet I would sooner see them succeed at their mad quest than force even one pony to endure a thousand years of that.”
For long seconds, Twilight heard nothing but the frantic thudding of her heartbeat and the unearthly whine of Celestia’s barely-contained power.
“Fine.” Celestia’s magic faded, although none of the tension left her body. “I suppose I owe you that.”
“Thou dost.” Luna stepped back. “Thy decision is made, Twilight Sparkle. Thou wilt watch as the ponies thou would save are crushed beneath the burden thou givest them. Thou wilt know that their madness was thy own doing. Thou wilt live with the consequences of thy choice.” She turned to Celestia. “Thy student is more like thee than thou knowest.”
“I don’t think my friends will go mad,” Twilight said slowly. “I think that happened to you because you were lonely and jealous and trying to fit into your sister’s horseshoes. My friends aren’t going to do any of that. They just want to live. Even if they do go crazy, we’ll be able to help them. With so many princesses around, one rogue alicorn won’t be such a huge threat that we’d have to banish her.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Celestia, “for your sake. I am done with this. If you three are going to spit on everything my reign stands for, then you give up the right to my protection and guidance. I want you out of Equestria proper. You have two days to say your goodbyes, and then you will leave for the Everfree Forest or the Undercaverns or wherever you choose. If anypony is mad enough to join you, I will not stop them, but they will never return to Equestria.”
The exile hurt less than the wrath Twilight saw in Celestia’s eyes. “I hope you’ll change your mind,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“I won’t have you meddling with the heavens anymore, either,” said Celestia.
“I don’t—”
“This is pointless,” said Luna. “Thou wilt not listen. We are done here.” She faded from view as the stars fade at sunrise, and then Celestia stood alone.
Twilight took a cautious step forward. “Princess—”
Celestia vanished in a swirl of flames, leaving behind oily smoke and the smell of scorched earth.
“Oh,” said Twilight. She backed away from the spot where the greatest, most important pony in the world had stood only moments before.
A hoof touched her withers. Twilight flinched. “You okay there?” said Rainbow Dash. “You’re shaking.”
“One can hardly blame her,” said Rarity. “The princess was positively awful.”
“Well, don’t worry,” said Rainbow. “She’s gone now.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Twilight sat down heavily. “She’s gone.”
Apple Sprout was breathing hard. He and his father were hitched to the farm’s largest wagon, a creaking behemoth loaded with bushels upon bushels of apples. As they hauled the harvest through town, they were talking about the offer Princess Twilight and Aunt Dash had made. Since the alicorns’ announcement yesterday, ponies had spoken of little else.
“I have to admit,” he said, “it’s more than a little tempting. I’d be giving up so much, but… well, I’m thinking about it, is all.”
Crabapple snorted. “What’s there to think about?”
“Look, I don’t want to go against Celestia! If it were just my own life, that would be it. But, well, I’m going to be a dad. I have to be there for the little seedling, no matter what. If something happens to me… I mean, I worry… the kid…”
“Yeah,” said Crabapple. “I know.”
“I guess you would.” Apple Sprout fell silent for a moment while they maneuvered the wagon around the final bend to Ponyville’s town square. Market stalls and colorful carts stretched before them. “And, you know, nothing really bad happens to alicorns. I could stop worrying.” He set his jaw. “Anyway, that’s why I’m thinking about going with Aunt Dash. Maybe you think it’s crazy, but there it is.”
“The only crazy thing is that you haven’t made up your mind yet. Me, I’m going and I’m not looking back.”
Apple Sprout blinked. “What, just like that?”
“Of course just like that! It’s eternal youth and unlimited magic! Stars and strawberries, what could possibly hold me back?”
“The land. The farm. The legacy of six generations of Apples!”
Crabapple rolled his eyes. “Dirt. Trees. A bunch of dead ponies. The farm is good for one thing, and that’s taking care of ponies. Living ponies. Happens Auntie Dash and her friends found a better way to do that.”
“And you’d just leave our family behind?”
They pulled to a stop alongside Honey Pie’s market stall. “Not if you folks have the sense to come with me,” Crabapple said.
Honey Pie came around the side of the stall, accompanied by the smell of cinnamon and roasted apples. “Oh? Are you going somewhere?”
Apple Sprout undid the traces and helped his wife haul the first cask of apples from the cart to the stall. “He wants to go with Twilight,” he said.
“And you oughta come with me,” said Crabapple.
Honey Pie paused in her unloading. “What? Me, become a princess? I… I couldn’t!”
“Why not?” said Apple Sprout. “At least think about it.”
“But… I mean, you’re not thinking about it too, right, Sprout?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I haven’t decided anything…”
“Apple Sprout!”
“This is poignant and all,” said Crabapple, “but your granddaddy wanted me back at home. Can we get a move on with the unloading?”
“You can head on back,” said Apple Sprout. “We’ll handle it.”
Crabapple shrugged. “If you say so.” He ambled back towards the farm.
Sprout started to turn back to the cargo, but a hoof on his shoulder stopped him. “I can’t believe you!” Honey Pie said. “What’s wrong with what we have now? I thought you were happy!”
“Of course I’m happy!”
“Then why do you want to leave?”
“I don’t! I want to be an alicorn. If I could do that here, I would. No question. That’s not an option, but if you came with me… as long as I still had you and the kid, I could manage without the farm.”
She caressed his face. “You’re a good pony, Sprout, but that isn’t right. What makes us more special than all the ponies who came before us and lived and died? Ponies aren’t meant to last forever. What we have is enough.”
He sighed. “Well, I’m not going anywhere without you. That’s more important than anything.”
The hut felt as welcoming as it ever had. Zecora had lived to the age of ninety-nine, and in the years since her death, nature had done only superficial damage to her home. With the aid of their magic, it only took a couple of hours to restore the hut to its former condition. It still felt like Zecora’s space, making it far less lonely than anywhere else in the forest.
“There,” said Twilight. “That should do it. I almost expect to see her come back and start mixing up a potion.” She ran a hoof along the newly cleaned lip of Zecora’s cauldron.
“Quite,” said Rarity. “The accommodations should be more than adequate.” In truth, the hut’s decor wasn’t at all to her taste, but it was only temporary. They needed somewhere to live and work until they could build something suitable. “Just one more thing, and I’ll be all set.” She strode out into the shade of the Everfree Forest, crunching through the snow.
Twilight followed. “The hut’s pretty small, though. Do you think we can fit everypony inside? Do we need to conjure another house or something?”
“That would depend on how many ponies Rainbow Dash brings with her, of course.” While they were setting up lodgings, Rainbow Dash was gathering up anypony who wanted to become an alicorn. Today was the day their exile began, and once Rainbow left Ponyville, none of them would be going back. Rarity was trying to stay upbeat and focused on the task at horn, more for Twilight’s sake than her own. As much as Rarity would miss Ponyville, she had made her peace with leaving it behind when she was in the hospital.
Rarity focused on a fallen tree trunk and gathered her magic. She hadn’t yet used the alicorn magic Twilight had told her about, but her unicorn magic was far stronger than it had ever been. The trunk transformed into a canopied featherbed. “Perfect,” she said. “Twilight, be a dear and teleport that inside, if you would.”
“Are you sure we have space? The hut’s small, and that’s a pretty big bed for one pony.”
“Two ponies,” Rarity said. Center Stage was the only pony who she was certain would join them. “Anyway, if it’s too large, I’ll just transfigure it into something smaller.”
There was a rustle of hooves in the underbrush. “Hey, guys,” came Rainbow’s voice. “We’re here.” She emerged from the forest, followed by three ponies. First was Crabapple, wearing his familiar scowl. Behind him came Angel Cake, a light pink earth pony with a yellow-white mane who was even younger than Apple Sprout. Rarity felt a brush of the familiar guilt that she didn’t know the Cakes’ offspring as well as she meant to. Finally, Center Stage puffed along at the rear. He went to Rarity’s side, and the two of them nuzzled each other. There was no sign of Pinkie, of course; she lived too far away for word to have reached her yet. Rarity felt a stab of disappointment anyway.
“Crabapple?” said Twilight. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Huh? Why?” said Crabapple.
“Well, you sort of hate everything. Why would you, of all ponies, want to live forever?”
Crabapple shrugged. “Life stinks,” he said, “but it beats the alternative.”
“What about the rest of the folks?” said Rainbow Dash.
“Sprout’s interested,” said Crabapple. “The kid’s smarter than he looks. It’s that wife of his that’s holding him back. I swear she’s jumpier than Ma was.”
“Angel Cake,” said Twilight. “You’re one of Pumpkin Cake’s kids, right?”
“I’m Pound Cake’s daughter,” said Angel Cake. “His youngest.”
Rarity bit her lip. “Are you quite sure she’s old enough for this, Twilight?”
Angel Cake scowled. “I’m eighteen,” she said. “I can do what I want.”
“And why did you decide to come here?” said Twilight.
“Well.” She looked down. “I’ve always dreamed of being a princess. Living forever, having all that magic… who wouldn’t want that?”
“Is that all?”
“Not quite.” Angel Cake grinned sheepishly. “There’s also this boy, Toffee Twirl. He always looks past me, you know? Like he never even notices I’m there. But he was thinking of becoming an alicorn, too. If I do it, he’ll have to notice. They all will, even if I’m way over here in the forest.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “You see what I mean.”
“So her reasons are kinda silly,” said Rainbow Dash. “She still wants to do the right thing.”
“Hey!” said Angel Cake. “My reasons are fine! It’s mostly the first one, anyway.”
“This decision can’t be undone,” said Twilight. “If you go through with it, I don’t think Celestia will ever let you back into her realm.”
“I understand,” said Angel Cake. “I’d rather be an alicorn here forever than an earth pony back there for fifty years.”
“Just so long as you know what you’re getting into,” said Twilight. “It’s your choice.”
“To start with,” said Rarity, “let’s get everypony settled in. I’ll show you the house. There should be enough room for six of us, if we squeeze a bit.” She set off towards the hut, and the others followed.
“So this is where a bunch of immortal demigods choose to live,” said Crabapple. “An abandoned shack in the woods.”
“Oh, hush, you,” said Rarity. “It’s charmingly rustic.”
Rainbow Dash laid a hoof on Twilight’s chest, holding her back. The others filed inside, leaving them alone in the forest.
“We didn’t really have a chance to talk, since I turned into this,” said Rainbow. “I want you to know that—”
“Could you please save it, for once?” said Twilight. “I know you don’t like me. That’s fine. I don’t like you either. There’s too much else going on, though. Can’t we just stay out of each others’ way?”
“No!” said Rainbow Dash. “Augh! I’m trying to forgive you!”
Twilight blinked. “For what?”
“For everything. For Fluttershy, mostly.”
“Now you forgive me? Now that I finally agree that it was wrong?”
“Look, you’re my friend,” said Rainbow. “This is what friends do. Maybe I should’ve done it before, but… well, it was harder. I was trying to get you to change your mind, and I needed to be mad to do that.”
“Oh, come on.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “You weren’t trying to persuade me. You were trying to hurt me. And you know what? You did a very good job.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“And should I take that any more seriously than you took my apologies? Or do you think you can buy my forgiveness with your own?”
Rainbow Dash looked down. “I dunno. I’m just saying I hurt you, and I did it on purpose, and it was wrong. Do what you’re gonna do. You’ve always been better at figuring out this stuff.”
“Ugh.” Twilight rubbed her forehead. “Well, thanks, anyway. I need to think about this. To tell the truth, though, you’re not the pony whose forgiveness I really need.”
“Then who is?”
“I don’t even know,” said Twilight. “Myself, maybe. Fluttershy.” She hesitated. “Celestia.”
Luna had expected Celestia to be in conference with one of her innumerable aides or advisers or assistants. Instead, Luna was surprised to find her alone in her private chambers. Celestia was curled up on a plush carpet in front of the fireplace. She had a mug of hot cocoa on one side and a stack of parchments on the other. Celestia was always bringing some report or petition with her when she ought to be relaxing. Now, she was ignoring the parchments to gaze at the fire with an expression of beatific calm.
“Sister. How good of you to come.” Celestia hadn’t looked up at her approach. “I assume you’re here to talk about Twilight Sparkle and her little band of dissidents. I could use your opinion. My cabinet isn’t sure what to make of this.”
“Thou knowest my views,” Luna said. “That is not why I am here. At least, not directly. I worry about thee. I know how much thy student meant to thee.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you.” Celestia levitated one of the parchments before her. She scanned it before tossing it into the fireplace, where it blackened and curled before igniting. “Twilight’s betrayal hurts, I’ll admit, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Now that I’m past the surprise, I’m more disappointed than anything else.”
“Truly?” Usually Luna admired Celestia’s stoicism, even emulated it. Today it frightened her. “Art thou so indifferent?”
“I have to be. My ponies need me, now more than ever. With Cadence the way she is, I certainly can’t let anything distract me.”
“Emotions are no mere distraction, sister.”
“You’re right. I said that poorly. Still, Equestria comes first.” Celestia sent another parchment into the flames.
Curious, Luna stepped closer and magically lifted the top parchment.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend Fluttershy who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can—
Celestia’s magic snatched the parchment away. Before Luna could react, Celestia flung it into the fire, followed moments later by the rest of the letters. The flames blazed high, sending sparks and ashen flakes spiraling upwards, then just as quickly faded back to a warm glow.
Luna stared in shock. “Those were—”
“They were.” Celestia’s face was as serene as ever.
“Thy collection went as far back as my return! Decades!”
“Fifty-six years, yes. But look what that brought us. I want no record of it.”
Luna took a deep breath, then laid down on the carpet beside Celestia. “One cannot erase a lifetime of friendship.”
“I have to.” Celestia looked into the distance. “This isn’t the first time I’ve needed to be strong for Equestria. It’s not even the hardest, as you know well.” Her eyes snapped into focus. Luna flinched away from the white-hot determination she had not seen in more than a thousand years. “Feelings for Twilight Sparkle could interfere with my judgment. Therefore, I feel nothing for Twilight Sparkle.”