//------------------------------// // Resolutions (Epilogue) // Story: Star Gazing // by Konseiga //------------------------------// Celestia’s sun had just begun to set, dipping below the horizon and bathing Ponyville in a crimson light. It was five days after her confrontation with Shadow Star, and Twilight’s wings ached dully. It was a comfortable feeling. Flying lessons for the day had been taxing, but she had spent it with her favorite pony in Equestria. “Bit for your thoughts?” Luna asked. The two alicorns were situated on the balcony of Twilight’s library, watching the sun fall. “You’re dwelling on our meeting with ‘Tia earlier, aren’t you?” It was true. Twilight’s mind was still in the recently repaired royal reception hall. ~*~*~*~*~ “Twilight Sparkle,” the Solar Princess had said. “There are some formalities that need taken care of. Even though I trust you completely, the bureaucracy demands that some minor details are ironed out.” Twilight hadn’t liked the sound of that, but she nodded dutifully. “Alright. What’s first?” Celestia grimaced. “Well, we might as well get the most unpleasant business out of the way first. Are you aware of the law regarding Class One spell casters?” “Magic users are rated on a scale of one to ten,” Twilight recited, “with ten being barely gifted and one being princess-level.” Twilight frowned. “There are only two Class Ones that I know of, being you and Luna.” Celestia nodded. “That was the case. And because of this, the law regarding Class Ones wasn’t an issue. Nopony was brave enough to try and impose limits upon the power of royalty.” Twilight frowned. “But?” “But then you entered the picture,” Celestia stated evenly. “The bureaucrats demanded that I keep your power in check somehow.” The white alicorn frowned and flared her wings. “They’re cowards and fools, but they keep Equestria running.” “So what’s the plan?” “Well, normally, both Luna and I would place various spells upon you, restricting your power to mundane levels unless a crisis occurred and your full power was needed.” As she said this, a sly look entered Celestia’s eye. “Normally?” “There is one way around it,” Celestia grinned. “So congratulations, Twilight. I’m appointing you as a permanent member of my Advisory Council and my official Royal Representative in Ponyville.” A confused look came across Twilight’s face. “But Princess, you don’t have an Advisory Council.” Celestia nickered with amusement. “I created it this morning. There’s only one seat that was available, and it now belongs to you. So now, as both a Royal Representative and my own personal advisor, I get to make the rules of what you can and cannot do,” the white alicorn said with a wink. “And I officially decree that no limits are needed upon you.” Twilight laughed at the Princess’s devious maneuver. “Won’t that upset ponies?” “Undoubtedly,” the white alicorn snorted. “But they can’t do anything about it.” “I’m honored, Princess,” Twilight said, bowing. “Is the bow necessary, Twilight?” another melodious voice chimed in. Twilight looked up, a smile spreading across her face, as her favorite midnight blue alicorn entered the hall. “Only in the presence of such high ranking figures,” Twilight replied playfully, her wings fluttering slightly. The sight Princess Luna never failed to take Twilight’s breath away. “How flattering,” Luna murmured, nuzzling Twilight and entwining their tails together. Celestia cleared her throat. Twilight blushed fiercely, and Luna glared at her elder sister. “There are still things that we need to discuss, Lu’,” Celestia said. “Then discuss them.” “Oh, for the love of…” Celestia shook her head, turning her attentions back to Twilight. “The second thing I needed to arrange with you is a training schedule.” “Training schedule?” Twilight repeated dumbly. “For what?” Celestia looked meaningfully at Twilight’s wings. “You’re the only alicorn in the history of Equestria that wasn’t born that way. You won’t have the instinctual control that Luna and I possess, and you certainly won’t be flying on your new wings. Now, I am usually available for lessons…” the white alicorn trailed off as Twilight scraped a hoof against the floor, a guilty look written all over her face. Luna had dissolved into giggles. “Okay,” Celestia demanded, “what am I missing?” “W-well, you see Princess…” Twilight started. “I’ve already started teaching Twilight, ‘Tia,” Luna finished. “We actually did have a flying lesson after Shadow Star was defeated.” “And we’ve been having sessions where I’ve been learning to control my new powers for a few days now,” Twilight added. “Sorry for not telling you earlier.” Celestia looked from the embarrassed purple alicorn to the smirking midnight blue one, a resigned sigh escaping her lips. “There will be no separating you two, will there?” “Not at all,” Luna replied confidently. “She’s already moved in to the library,” Twilight mumbled. Celestia rolled her eyes. “Then I guess that settles it,” the white alicorn said. “Lu’, make sure she learns well. I’ve had enough rampant alicorn magic for one millennium.” Luna nodded while Twilight asked, “Was there anything else you needed, Princess?” Princess Celestia looked thoughtful for a second, and shook her head. “There is one other bit of information I’d like to give you, but the official business is settled, more or less.” “Information?” “Yes. I was reading over Greymane’s work on the alicorn transmutation spell,” Celestia said. “And I came across an interesting passage. Apparently, he modified the spell from a more permanent version of his other spells. He had obviously intended to keep his wings once he had them.” Twilight frowned. “Okay…at the risk of sounding rude, so what?” Celestia shrugged. “It means that there’s no reversing the spell. You’re an alicorn for good.” ~*~*~*~*~ “Do you regret this?” Luna asked softly, nudging Twilight’s wings. Twilight thought for a moment. “No, I don’t. It’s a big change, that’s for sure, but I don’t regret that it happened to me.” She looked at Luna with a smile on her face. “And even if I could reverse this, I don’t think I would.” “Why not?” Luna pushed. “This change was forced on you. If you had the means to reverse the forced change, why wouldn’t you?” Twilight looked to the sky. The sun was more than halfway below the horizon now, and the sky had taken a blue tint. “Well,” she said finally, “I’d keep it for you, Luna.” Luna tilted her head sideways. “I don’t understand.” “Well, before, while I was just a unicorn,” talk about things you never thought you’d say, “it seemed as if there was some sort of barrier between us. It did to me, at least.” Twilight fumbled for the words, struggling to convey her feelings. “Now, that barrier has vanished. I feel… connected to you. More than I did before.” Twilight grimaced. The explanation was woefully inadequate. Luna just smiled and kissed Twilight’s cheek gently, sending goose bumps down Twilight’s back. “You’re such a silly filly,” she whispered. “I didn’t need that to love you. But it certainly is a plus.” Twilight smiled and leaned her head against the darker alicorn’s body. “I’m glad you understand,” she said quietly. “So where do we go from here?” Luna thought for a moment. “Do we have to go anywhere?” she finally asked. “We have all the time in the world. Quite literally, in fact.” Twilight blinked and tilted her head. “What?” “Didn’t Celestia tell you?” Luna smiled impishly. “You’re an alicorn now, by all indication. You have all the powers ‘Tia and I have.” “Okay…?” “Twilight,” Luna’s tone quickly became more serious, “you have all of eternity stretching before you. You’re immortal.” The prospect hit Twilight like a buck to the chest. “E-eternity?” “Yes. Your natural life will extend forever.” The blue alicorns face twisted into a grimace as she added, “Unless somepony succeeds in killing you.” “You know as well as I do that my death by somepony’s hand is unlikely at best now,” Twilight murmured in Luna’s ear. “You don’t have to worry about that.” “I hope so,” Luna murmured back. “I couldn’t bear to be without you.” Twilight returned the princess’s kiss on the cheek, and then stuck her tongue out playfully. “I love you too.” Still, something bothered Twilight. Living forever had its downside. Pain and worry clutched at her heart as she thought of her friends naturally dying off while she remained frozen in time. “You’re thinking about your friends,” Luna said quietly. “I can see it on your face.” A single tear escaped from Twilight’s eye. “I’ll be without them, Luna. They’ll die, but I won’t.” Luna nuzzled the distressed alicorn gently. “Twilight, your friends have long lives ahead of them. And I’ll be here for you, always.” “Thank you,” Twilight whispered. The sun had almost completely vanished beneath the horizon. The two alicorns were silent for a while, looking across Ponyville and the surrounding area. Even from this distance, they could see the activity on Sweet Apple Acres drawing to a close. The waning light cast a red glow across their orchard as three small dots (Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom, Twilight assumed) walked toward the farmhouse, retiring for the day. Princess Luna was the first to break the silence. “What does Applejack think?” “Hmmm? Think about what?” Luna jerked her head back towards Twilight’s room, where the midnight blue alicorn had recently arranged some of her own belongings. Twilight’s room was now furnished with a wide, detailed map of Equestria, a golden telescope that was stamped with the royal insignia, and various other trinkets from the palace. “This. Us.” Twilight raised her eyebrow at Luna. “Do you really need to ask? She’s been nothing but supportive of the entire thing, along with Rainbow Dash.” Luna nodded. “Speaking of your rainbow-colored friend, thank her for what she did earlier, won’t you?” ~*~*~*~*~ After their meeting with Princess Celestia, Twilight and Luna had returned to Ponyville, calmly trotting through the entire town. They hadn’t even made it to the library before they drew a crowd of gaping ponies. “Is that Princess Luna? But who’s she with?” “Celestia help us, it’s another alicorn!” “But look!” Roseluck’s voice had risen above the crowd, and she pointed a hoof at Twilight’s flank. “Her cutie mark!” “Twilight?!” Twilight and Luna had exchanged glances, both looking extraordinarily helpless. Rainbow Dash, however, was on the scene in seconds. “Alright, everypony, listen up!” she cried, hovering over the alicorn couple. “There’s been a lot of major stuff that’s happened over the past several hours, and you should all know what that stuff was!” So Rainbow Dash proceeded to give her epic rendition of the past battle, beginning with Shadow Star’s hostile takeover of Twilight’s body and ending with the tyrant’s defeat. Tactfully, she left out the part about the black gemstone that was situated in Twilight’s room behind several magical wards. The crowd was enthralled by Rainbow Dash’s story, gasping and cheering when appropriate. “And that,” Rainbow Dash concluded, “is the whole story!” “Wow, Twilight, you’re amazing!” “Yeah!” “Can I feel your wings? They look different than a pegasus pony’s wings.” “Hey!” Rainbow Dash bellowed again. “There will be enough time for you all to bombard Twilight with your attentions later. Right now, how about we let the hero of Ponyville and her marefriend have some rest, huh?” A deathly silence spread over the crowd at that point. Everypony looked at each other. “Marefriend?” “But they’re both mares!” “Yeah, and what’s yer point?” Applejack had pushed and shoved her way through the crowd until she stood in front of the two alicorns. “Twi’, Princess Luna,” she nodded respectfully, and then wheeled around to face the crowd. “Who gives a flyin’ hayfeather if they’re both mares? Why should somethin’ as silly as gender dictate who can love who?” Applejack stamped her hoof against the ground. “If ya’ll don’t like it, well, then that’s just too darned bad, ain’t it?” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash pitched in, landing next to the orange pony. “It isn’t as strange as you think, anyway!” “RD, do ya think we should tell ‘em?” “Why tell when we can just show?” As soon as the words left Rainbow Dash’s mouth, she tackled the orange pony and kissed her passionately, right in front of the entire crowd. “Woohoo!” some pony that sounded suspiciously like Pinkie Pie yelled from the back. The crowd erupted into cheers as Rainbow Dash and Applejack grinned at Twilight and Luna. “Ya’ll can thank us later.” ~*~*~*~*~ “That surprised even me,” Twilight said with a giggle. “I didn’t expect my friends to come out that way.” “It certainly was astounding,” Luna agreed. “But the crowd seemed to love it.” Twilight nodded, gazing up at the sky. The sun was now completely below the horizon, and the sky began to darken. Luna began to stand up, brushing herself off and stretching her legs. “Before we left the palace,” she said idly, “I asked ‘Tia a favor.” “Oh?” Twilight had a puzzled look on her face. “What would that be?” “Well, it’s been so long since I’ve really fulfilled my duties,” the dark blue alicorn replied, flaring her wings out. “I asked her to not raise the moon tonight. I’ve decided that I’m going to do it.” “Oh, wow! That’s great, Luna!” Twilight smiled up at her marefriend. “But, you know,” Luna trailed off, feigning sadness. “There are so many stars in my night sky. It’s a lot for one pony to handle.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “So I figured that I would ask a pony whose name was fitting for this time of day,” Luna continued, “to help me bring out the stars. This pony has to be able to use magic, fly, and be strong and smart enough to do both.” Twilight let out a small squee as Luna turned and gazed at her. “Twilight Sparkle,” she addressed the purple alicorn formally, “will you lend us your strength and help us raise the stars?” Quashing the urge to bounce around and scream yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes, Twilight jumped to her hooves and bowed. “I would be honored.” The two ponies tensed their muscles, spread their wings, and jumped off the balcony. They soared into the twilight sky, spreading the night sky for everypony across Equestria.