Sapphire and emerald eyes reflect one another as two former friends— now rivals— fiercely stare each other down. They both know, perhaps all too well by now, that this is a battle that will be won or lost by distance. If the iron-bodied earth pony closes, there’ll be little hope for the comparatively frail unicorn. But if the unicorn’s magic, its precision honed to perfection by her craft, manages to hold out, she’ll no doubt be the victor this day.
The two ponies pace in a wide circle, their mutual gazes unyielding. Neither wants to make the first move, for in this standoff it’ll put them at a disadvantage. But the stalemate can’t last forever… one of them will break. It’s all too obvious, as both combatants’ snouts start to scrunch as their patience frays, and then, inevitably… snaps.
Applejack and Rarity
“How dare you show your face at this wedding?! Have you no shame? Do you have no respect for the Princess whatsoever?!”
The fashionista makes the first move, jumping to the side, quickly removing some sequins from her dress, and firing them through the air like bullets with her magic.
“Ah’m doin’ ya a favor! Y’all should be ashamed of bein’ in this sham of a weddin’!” The earth pony dives behind a nearby pew, the sequins harmlessly bouncing away from it. “An’ for the last time, she ain’t ‘the Princess’, she’s TWILIGHT! She’s always gonna be Twilight ta me, no matter what dumb title she picks up, or what dumb things she does, ‘cause she’s my friend! Always has been, always will be!”
Rarity scoffs as she hides behind another pew, carefully pulling her dress apart stitch by stitch to increase her mobility and provide the raw material to fashion ropes of her own to counter her opponent’s troublesome lasso.
“Complete lack of class, complete lack of tact, and a complete disregard for social stations... you truly are beyond saving! You won’t recognize her accomplishments, and you won’t even allow her to marry her true love! You’re not a pony, you’re... you’re... a beast!”
“An’ you don’t have one lick’a common buckin’ sense in that gossip magazine-filled head’a yours! Rarity, he doesn’t love her, and he ain’t ever GONNA love her! It’s plain as day ta see! Twilight deserves somepony who can return her feelings!”
The farmpony holds up her hat from behind the pew as a decoy, which instantly gets bombarded by sequins and fabric ropes. She uses the opportunity to sprint from cover, straight toward the source of the projectiles. Rarity, caught off guard by the charge, attempts to flee, but her hooves are no match for Applejack’s speed. The two collide and roll into a pony-shaped melee ball of kicking and biting.
“And since when has reciprocal love EVER been required for a marriage?! My mother and father secretly hate each other, but aside from that we’re a perfectly happy family!”
“That’s... that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms there, Rares! But doggone it, if ya just saw how lovey-dovey Anon n’ Celestia acted around each other, ya’d definitely see why he ain’t a good match for Twi!”
The unicorn immediately stops fighting, and the farmpony does the same in response.
“Anonymous and Celestia?! Really?! So I was right all along?!”
She leaps up from the floor, holding Applejack’s forehooves in her own, causing the country mare to chuckle a bit at her sudden change in attitude.
“Ah swear, if ah was a minister, ah’d have already married ‘em myself just ta get it over with.”
“Darling... you simply must tell me everything! Everything! Every lurid detail! I must know!”
The orange mare simply rolls her eyes. “All right, all right, keep your stirrups straight. Ah don’t have time for the full story, but here’s the short ‘n sweet’a it...”
The Crusaders
“An’ then... we looked over, an’ two’a the ships exploded! Kablooie!” Apple Bloom raises her hooves in the air for emphasis.
“Whoa...” Scootaloo stares at the yellow filly, completely entranced by her story. “That. Sounds. SO. COOL!”
“Yeah, it sounds amazing!” Sweetie Belle adds, her voice cracking in its usual way. “But guess what? I got foalnapped and used as leverage by Anon in order for him to mess up the wedding and escape from Princess Twilight!”
“What the heck is ‘leverage’?” The little pegasus scratches her head, completely lost.
Apple Bloom gasps. “No way! When was that?!”
“Right before you got here!” The unicorn filly nods proudly.
Scootaloo sighs. “I guess that means Sweetie’s in the lead in our contest to see how many times we can be taken hostage by bad guys...”
“Yep! Score one for me!”
“Nuh uh, it doesn’t count ‘cause Anon ain’t a bad guy! He’s nice!” Apple Bloom protests.
Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “What? If he’s so nice, why’s he ruining the Princess’ wedding?”
Sweetie rolls her eyes. “Haven’t you been paying attention? It’s because Anon doesn’t love her and she’s trying to force him to marry her anyway!”
Apple Bloom nods. “Eeyup. He really loves Miss Celestia, and she loves him back! It’s why she came all this way ta save him from the Princess!”
“Whoa, really?” The pegasus flutters her tiny wings. “Wow, it’s like some kinda cheesy movie or something. So, I guess that’s why your sisters are totally fighting to the death over there?”
The three turn to observe the current brawl between Rarity and Applejack.
Sweetie Belle shrugs. “Eh, they do that sometimes. But yeah, this time that’s why.”
“Girls! I think there might be a cutie mark ta be gotten outta this...” Apple Bloom says, clopping her hooves together and adopting a mischievous grin.
Sweetie gives Scootaloo a confused glance. “Uh... really? But what would it be for, and what would we do?”
“It’s easy!” Apple Bloom chirps. “We’ll be true love reuniters! All we gotta do is get Anon ‘n Celestia together in the same place!”
Scootaloo grimaces. “I dunno... that sounds a lot like that matchmaking thing we tried with your brother and Miss Cheerilee. I don’t think we’re good at it.”
“Nuh uh, it ain’t the same! We already know they both love each other; we’re just reunitin’ ‘em! It should be easy, an’ there’s no way anythin’ can go wrong!”
The two other crusaders give it a bit of thought before holding their hooves up in agreement.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS TRUE LOVE REUNITERS, YAY~!”
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash
The pink and cyan ponies crash together in a heap in the center of one of the corridors leading from the plaza to the castle proper. Rainbow shakes her head to clear her dizziness away, while Pinkie stands back up as if completely unaffected by the impact.
“I can’t believe you’re on their side, Pinkie Pie! You helped us go after Anon when this all started, but now you’re nothing but a dirty traitor!”
The party pony’s mane deflates a little, and she looks at Dash with a hurt expression. “I... I want all my friends to be happy, Dashie...”
“Then why’d you abandon Twilight?” Rainbow yells. “Isn’t she your friend too?!”
“Yes, she’s my friend! She’s one of my super duper looper wooper best friends!” Pinkie fidgets with her hooves and looks away. “But Non-non and Celly are my friends, too. I want them all to be happy, and... and I couldn’t figure out how to make it all work!”
Dash shakes her head in contempt. “So you decided to go for two out of three, huh?”
“No... I didn’t,” Pinkie sniffles, tears pooling in her eyes. “At first I... I thought that maybe I could get Non-non to like her back. I thought that maybe him not liking her was just him being a silly-head and not liking ponies in general. But when I saw what she was doing to him, I...” She stomps a hoof. “I... I realized that it wasn’t nice... and I realized that it was Twilight who needed to change.”
“I don’t have time for this...” Rainbow attempts to zoom past the forlorn pony, but she pops up like a coiled spring, snatching the pegasus out of the air.
“I wanted to be there to help her, and to try to make her smile again! I really did, Dashie! But I was told to go with Non-non by a very important pony, so I couldn’t...!”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Rainbow kicks her legs, trying to break free from Pinkie’s grip.
“But now I know! I know how she can be happy too!” The pegasus stops struggling and gives the pink earth pony her attention. “She... she has to learn to let him go.”
“Ha! I knew it!” Rainbow laughs. “I knew you were never on her side!”
Pinkie turns away. “Celly and Non-non are in love. You’ll see it for yourself soon, and so will Twilight. She’ll need to learn to let go, or she’ll never smile again...”
Without warning, the party pony stands up straight on all four hooves and strikes a dynamic pose.
“But as long as my name is Pinkie Pie, I’ll NEVER give up on her smile! It’s a Pinkie Promise!”
She grabs Rainbow with her hooves, much to her surprise and displeasure. “H-Hey, what’s the big idea?!”
“C’mon, Dashie! We’ve got work to do!”
“No, Pinkie, wait!”
Completely ignoring the cries of protest, she gallops down the hall and into the castle proper, cyan pegasus in tow.
Celestia and Luna
The two alicorns stare at each other directly for the first time in a long while.
Luna, the Princess of the Night, radiates the full power of her station. The presence of her magic can be felt in the very air itself, subtly flowing all throughout the plaza.
In contrast, Celestia, the former Princess of the Day, is barely standing. Covered in injuries, and weakened by the effects of the nearby Geas, she pours all her willpower into merely remaining conscious.
“...We have heard of your triumph over the Trials, Sister. Congratulations are in order. We knew if anypony could overcome them a second time, it would be you.”
“I wasn’t alone, Lulu... I had a true friend with me the entire way.”
The midnight blue alicorn smiles. “Yes, well, we are happy for your safe return. Even if it violates our decree, we feel an exception is in order, as it saved us the trouble of having to meet you over the ocean later this day.”
Celestia gives her sister a confused glance. “A meeting over the ocean? But why?”
“Surely you have felt it... for nearly a week now, there has been a great darkness creeping across the land. It’s not visible, but can be felt through the aether, and it is spreading, and despite our searching, we know not its source. It is the first thing, in a great long while, to strike such terror in our heart...”
“A spreading darkness...?” the older alicorn ponders. “No... I haven’t felt it, though perhaps that’s due to my current condition. But come to think of it, there was an odd occurrence during the Trials when we visited the Dark Star chamber. The Star was reacting to something, and we barely made it out in time. Could it be related to what you’re speaking of?”
“The Dark Star...? Truly?” Luna steps back, lost in her thoughts. “If... if that is the case, things are worse than we feared, which makes what we intended more important than ever.”
She returns to stand before Celestia, her deep cyan eyes focused with purpose.
“Sister... give to us the Orb of Ascension you hold, and we shall perform the exchange to restore you to your former self. Now, more than ever, this world needs the true Celestia of the Sun to assume her rightful place. Twilight Sparkle is talented, true, but she has not the experience or resolve to lead Equestria through this trial.”
Slowly, Celestia closes her eyes and turns away.
“No, Lulu. This precious gift was not meant for you, nor was it meant for me.”
“What?!” Luna rears back in shock. “Art thou mad...? You... you cannot be serious. Sister, if you were intending to return to Anonymous in order to make use of the Orb he carried, you should banish those thoughts. Twilight Sparkle destroyed it, and it is no more. Using your own Orb is the only option we have!”
“...I know that Anon’s was lost. I could feel it, somehow, but it changes nothing.”
Luna shakes her head, her starry mane framing the strained smile on her face. “This... jest has overstayed its welcome. Thou must give us the Orb of Ascension so that we might empower thee, Celosia! We shall not ask again!”
And again, the white alicorn, weak, covered in injuries, and on the brink of collapse, turns away.
“...I will not, Gloomy. I did not journey with him, and through all that we experienced together, to give this gift to you. There is only one creature in this world who is meant to receive it...” She looks up, her magenta eyes traveling beyond her sister’s frame to the human standing near the plaza’s far edge. “...And nothing, not even the end of the world itself, will ever change that.”
Through great effort, Luna chokes back a Canterlot voice-empowered reply, instead settling for something just above a whisper.
“You’ve learned nothing, and your selfishness remains unchanged. Still, you run from your duty! Still, you break your oath! We... we cannot stand the sight of you.”
Her horn glows, and in a flash of magic she blinks away, her destination unknown.
Big Mac and Fluttershy
“So... um... may I please, maybe... um... g-get past you so I can stop Celestia from reaching Anon?”
“Eenope.”
“Oh, okay then.”
The previous conversation has repeated itself in various forms for the past several minutes, and the outcome is always the same. The trembling butter-yellow pegasus asks to pass, gets told no, and turns away. It’s only through sheer determination and a will to help her friend that she’s able to summon the courage to ask again each time.
After this latest failure, she flutters away and hides behind a pew to regroup and plan her next move.
“Okay, there’s no reason to be nervous. You’re a highly accomplished author who’s written a ton of explicit sex scenes featuring stallions that were modeled after him because you don’t know very many stallions you can talk to or even look at from a distance without locking up and fainting like a goat. N-No pressure, right? Just turn on the old Fluttershy charm and ask him again, and he’s sure to let you through this time!”
She emerges from the pew for her next attempt. Several seconds elapse before she returns.
“Okay... that didn’t work. M-Maybe he hates me, or thinks I’m ugly and weak. Or maybe he hates me because I’m ugly and weak! I... I can’t really do anything without the girls, or Angel, or the rest of the animals to help...” She whimpers. “Oh, Fluttershy, what are you going to do?”
After yet another round of trembling behind the pew, she perks up.
“Wait a minute. Maybe I should try being assertive again, even though it’s usually a bad idea. But... but if it’s to help Twilight win her love, maybe it’s okay to try...”
The meek pegasus emerges from her hiding place and lands in front of the large stallion once more. With a deep breath she begins, “Listen here, mister! You’re gonna let me pass right now, or you’re gonna regret it!”
“Eenope.”
She stomps a hoof in frustration, though it barely makes a sound.
“I said, ‘let me pass’...”
“Eenope.”
“Let me pass or your ass is grass!!” She shouts the command with authority, causing the stallion to actually look down at the smaller pony.
And that was his fatal mistake.
Her eyes, holding some sort of strange power, begin to rob him of his will. He finds himself unable to move, speak, or even form coherent thoughts, and suddenly his hooves are moving him aside and out of her way.
“Heh. Always works!” With a smirk of triumph, the haughty pegasus resumes her march toward the two alicorns standing near the end of the aisle. After a few more steps, she feels a strange rush of air from behind, and then...
Big Mac shakes his head, the strange haze that fell over him lifted. He turns to see Fluttershy sprawled on the floor, a nasty looking bump on her head, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing nearby. He notes that Apple Bloom has a piece of wood in her mouth.
The red-maned filly startles when she notices he’s back to normal, dropping the item.
“Oh! Hey there, big brother, how’re ya doin’?”
He turns his head to regard the scene one more time before speaking.
“...Apple Bloom, did you ‘n your friends here clock Miss Fluttershy in the back of the head with a busted chair leg?”
Immediately the three fillies get that guilty look that only children can.
“Um... y-yes? We just wanted ta help!”
The stallion nods. “...Good work, Lil’ Sis. Thanks for the save, but don’t make givin’ random ponies head injuries a habit, you hear? Same thing goes for you two.”
“Yes, sir!” The other two crusaders salute for good measure.
Apple Bloom beams with pride. “C’mon girls, we’re doin’ great already! Let’s keep goin’ with the plan!”
The exasperated stallion rolls his eyes, then trots off to go get his other sister to come tend to the injured pegasus.
Anon and Twilight
Another gem filled, and another takes its place, just like the one before it, and the one before that one, and...
No, try not to think about it. Yes, your supply is starting to get dangerously low, but that’s not what you need to focus on right now. You need to find a way out of this; a way that ends with the Geas broken so that you actually stand a chance in the long run.
Cel’s arrival, while being extremely helpful in removing the guards from play and occupying the bridesmares’ attention, is also a hindrance. You can’t move closer to her in any way without weakening her further. You’re not sure what the extent of the curse is, or what kind of lasting damage it would leave on her should she have to weather the full effect, and you don’t intend to find out. What’s worse is that due to your position near the altar at the plaza’s far edge, and her position near the central rearmost pews, there are no exits you can realistically move toward that don’t involve getting closer to her. You’re essentially trapped here with a weakened, but very pissed off purple alicorn nearby.
Your mind is blank... you can’t think of anything that would help short of Twilight releasing the Geas willingly. But she’d never do that... the advantage she gains from it is way too massive for anyone in her position to realistically relinquish. But there has to be—
A rolling ball of white and orange nearly crashes into you as the two ponies fiercely fight with one another. You watch with curiosity as they come to an abrupt stop near one of the plaza’s edges and then start conversing like best friends. There’s no telling whether that’s a good or bad sign since you can’t hear their conversation, but you suppose there’s no point in worrying on your end. You turn back to your thoughts as you swap gems yet again.
It doesn’t make sense. You know Cel wouldn’t be here if she didn’t have some sort of plan for dealing with Twilight. She has to have one, but the real question is: what’s your role in it? What are you supposed to do? Is there some sort of signal you’ve missed? Did Apple Bloom just smack Fluttershy in the back of the head with a chunk of wood?
Well, at least you have an answer to your last question. Looks like she’s down for the count, and Mac’s headed over to the conversing AJ and Rarity, probably to get some help for her.
You turn to Twilight, whose unfocused eyes probably can’t even see what just happened. She’s struggling against you with all her might. Maybe... maybe your role here is to convince her, but she’s proven time and time again that she won’t listen to reason when it involves you, so...
“Aaaaah!”
A lance of pain jumps down the arm you’re using to hold the gem with such intensity that you cry out and fall to your knees. You nearly lose control of the constant focus you need to keep the power transfer active, and Twilight immediately takes notice.
“It’s... painful, isn’t it, Anon? I was wondering when it would start...”
You bite back the pain and glare at her. “What did you do?”
She chuckles. “Nothing. It’s magic fatigue. Your body’s not used to... to channeling that much magical power, even if it ultimately only goes into the gems. It taxes you, and if you ignore it, your body will shut down. It happened to me as a filly... and later as a student when I was developing my talent.”
You try to stand again, and realize to your horror that your legs are no longer responding to your commands. You switch to another empty gem and try to fight back against the panic that’s welling up within you.
Not good. Any plans that you were making which involve moving around just went into the trash heap. Fuck...
You hear the sound of teleportation magic and look up again to see that Luna’s vanished to god knows where, leaving Celestia standing in the aisle alone. The various other ponies are spread out across the plaza: AJ and Rarity tending to Fluttershy with Mac, and the CMC over in a corner whispering about something. Rainbow and Pinkie are nowhere to be found, which is probably a good thing if you think about it.
Again, you breathe out and fight back the pain. You want to call this an advantageous position, but you know that’s a lie. Still... if the only thing you can really do now is talk, maybe it’s worth a shot.
“Looks like your bridesmares are either KO’d, MIA, or have defected. The guards won’t help you, and Luna’s gone too. It’s over, Twilight... remove the Geas and let’s end this.”
A giggle and a snort precede her reply. “Cute. Very cute, Anon... I love you, but not enough to make a dumb mistake like that. You must be very desperate now... running low on gems?”
“You wish.”
You only have four left now.
“Didn’t I tell you before? You do a little thing with your lips when you lie, Anon.” She smiles. “Even though... even though the wedding didn’t go as planned, you’ll still be married to me before the sun rises. And then... our honeymoon will begin... and nothing, not even you MEDDLESOME FILLIES WILL CHANGE THAT!!”
The alicorn’s Canterlot Voice blasts the three Crusaders away from her, tossing them and the piece of wood they were carrying into the pews. Shit, you didn’t even notice them... were they trying to sneak up on her in her blind spot?
AJ, Rarity, and Mac run from the now bandaged but still unconscious Fluttershy to make sure the fillies are okay. You see Applejack look over to Twilight with rage in her eyes, then to Celestia as if asking for something. The white alicorn shakes her head, and the farmpony growls with frustration but remains where she is.
That’s right... come to think of it, neither she nor Mac nor Pinkie ever tried to approach Twilight, even though she’s been weakened, but why...?
You shift your gaze back to Cel, and to your surprise her eyes are solely on you now. You see her whisper something, and then take a step forward. She winces with pain, but quickly squares her shoulders and takes another, and then another.
No... what the hell is she doing?! She can’t come this close! You try to retreat, but your legs still refuse to work...
“Cel, stop! The Geas!”
She doesn’t listen. There’s another step. And another. With the next, she stumbles and collapses on the carpet. After two failed attempts, she manages to return to her hooves for yet another step. And then another, which causes her to cry out in pain and nearly fall again.
“What’s... what’s she doing? Has she gone crazy?!” Twilight cries.
She’s just as incredulous about what’s happening as you are. The two of you have become helpless spectators to the scene unfolding before your eyes. Celestia whispers something again, and now that she’s close enough, you can read her lips.
“’Anon’...”
Another step. With each step, she says your name. You can see now that her hooves are trembling, and she shudders as if a heavy burden has been placed upon her back. Some tears fall from her eyes, but she continues on...
Three gems left.
Your Geas bands glow, and an arc of thin magical lightning erupts from them, traveling across the carpet and eventually up her hooves, chest and side, burning everything they touch. She screams out in pain, but doesn’t fall, instead responding with yet another step.
“No, Cel! You can’t!”
“Stop it! Stay back!”
Twilight’s becoming increasingly more distraught with each new step. You can see that her expression, which so recently only reflected the arrogance fueled by her certain victory, now displays a mix of horror and concern. Her ears are folded back and her eyes are wide, unable to look away.
The pieces of the carpeting bombarded by the lightning have now caught fire, threatening to burn her hooves if she doesn’t move back.
Another step, into the flames. The lightning arcs again, turning streaks of her soft white coat black and searing the many bandages that cover her. You turn away, unable to look as she cries.
“YOU NEED TO STOP! STAY AWAY!”
“PLEASE, STOP IT, PRINCESS!”
Twilight’s distress forces her to slip into her old habits of speech, which causes Celestia to weakly smile.
“That... is a wish... I’m afraid I can never fulfill. Never, not for either of you.”
She takes one last step, and that’s the end. Her body reaches its limit and the spell overcomes her. She collapses roughly twenty feet away from you, her body rising and falling with labored breaths, and her magenta eyes trained on both you and Twilight.
Two gems left.
She was already injured and weak before all this started. She should’ve known she had no chance to begin with...
“Why...?” you hear a sniffling beside you, and turn to see tears falling from Twilight’s eyes.
The white alicorn closes her eyes, and a true smile plays across her lips.
“It is my sincere hope... that one day, you will come to know the answer for yourself, my dear student. I know, as with all things, that you are more than capable of discerning it.” Her eyes open again to meet your own, and you can somehow feel her heartbeat mixing with yours, despite the space between you.
One gem left.
Twilight’s breathing hitches, and you can tell that her thoughts are racing, searching for an answer. Memories are recalled, analyzed, categorized, compared, and information and meaning is sought within each one. Only the sound of Celestia’s pained breathing can be heard through the silence as Twilight slowly builds a conclusion in her mind.
You can recognize the very instant she knows. Her jaw goes slack, her stare goes blank, and a single word falls from her lips:
“Love.”
It’s not the mere realization that Celestia loves you, and that you love her. On a very basic level, Twilight already knew, and has spent much of her time trying to either marginalize or simply deny it.
No, the true epiphany in this moment comes from the recognition of the stark difference between her own love for you, and from Celestia’s love for you.
It’s hard for her to frame it properly in her thoughts. Despite all her power, she’s still a young mare with little understanding about this aspect of the world. She knows the terms, and the definitions, and many examples, but only through books. Her mind knows, but her young heart truly has yet to learn.
The fear that now shows on her face is evidence that the conclusion she’s come to was formed not by her brain and its familiar, comforting, immutable logic, but from her heart and its frightening, ill-defined but recognizable truth.
There is a difference between her love and Celestia’s love. She can’t define it, she can’t explain it, but she somehow knows it, and she knows that the difference is so vast even the Great Ocean itself couldn’t contain it.
There’s a spark from her horn as her concentration fails. The Geas bands on your wrists waver and fade to nothing, just as the last gem you held reaches its limit. With a muted cry, the purple alicorn stumbles back and collapses on her haunches, staring at the ground.
“No... no, no, no... it can’t...”
With no magic coursing through your body anymore, the pain which paralyzed you is quickly fading away. You find the strength to somewhat stand and hobble over to where Cel lies, placing a comforting hand on her withers.
“Hey there, pretty pony. I missed you.”
“A hello to you too, my precious human... but your flattery is misplaced. I know I look awful.”
“Nah, you look great. I mean, have you ever seen yourself in the mornings? This is nothing.”
She laughs. “You’re lucky I’m not able to move very well right now...” Slowly, she lifts her head from the floor, craning her neck to reach you. “I suppose I’ll have to settle for this in order to prevent your mouth from making any more snarky comments.”
Your lips meet in a kiss which starts out as a light, playful peck, but quickly intensifies as the realization that you’ve really found each other again sinks in. You use your arms to cradle her head and you hear her tail thrash behind her once with joy. The collective cheer of excitement from three nearby fillies and a cat call from a certain orange mare along with a squee from her unicorn friend are what ultimately force you apart.
The other ponies all rush to crowd around the two of you. Mac uses his hooves to put out the small fires still burning on the carpet, the CMC dance with joy while periodically checking their flanks for a new cutie mark, and Rarity and Applejack move toward the forlorn princess.
She sits there on the ground, in her wedding dress, her head hung low and wings drooping. The soft pattering of tears can be heard as they fall from her face and strike the floor. The farmpony approaches first.
“Twilight...?”
She shakes her head. “No... go away. Stay away from me...”
“Ah can’t do that. You’re my friend, so there’s no way ah’d leave ya be like this even if ya wanted me to.”
Rarity nods. “That’s right. The same goes for all of us, even the ones who aren’t here at the moment.”
The alicorn sniffles, pulling her wings back to her sides. “That’s a lie... you’ve all abandoned me too. It’s okay, though. I had a contingency plan for that happening. I... had a plan for almost everything. Everything but this...”
She lifts her head, fresh tears falling down her face. “I... I don’t understand! Why is the difference so great?! How can she love him more than me?! It’s not possible! It shouldn’t be possible, but it is! WHY?!”
Rarity reaches out a comforting hoof. “Darling... it’s perfectly okay to cry. It’s probably what’s best for you right now, I think. Once this is all out of your system, maybe you—”
“NO! I don’t want this ‘out of my system’! Even if I don’t understand why, I know I failed. I wasn’t enough to him... I was deficient...” she turns her gaze toward Celestia. “...And I never understood the true scope of what I was struggling against. It’s not fair... I didn’t have all the data... how am I supposed to win if I don’t have all the data...? How can I realize our shared destiny if my vision is this clouded? Why isn’t it enough?!”
Twilight stands and gallops toward the edge of the plaza, shrugging off her wedding dress as she runs. When she gets to the edge she spreads her wings, her mane and tail fluttering in the cool winter breeze.
“Twilight, wait! Don’t ya leave us! We just want ta help!” Applejack pleads.
“That’s right!” Rarity adds. “If you’d just let us, we’d...”
She ignores their protests and with one last glance back, leaps from the edge, gliding from the castle to the city below and eventually disappearing into the darkness.
Applejack throws her hat to the ground in frustration. “Horseapples! Where’s Rainbow when ya need her?”
“Let her be, my little ponies. I believe what she’s learned here will eventually lead her back to all of us, and back to your friendship. All she needs is time.”
All eyes shift to Celestia as she speaks. She’s now strong enough to sit up, and you rest beside her, running your fingers through her mane to calm the both of you down after all that’s happened. You remove your hand from her curls and return it to your lap, partially out of embarrassment, when the other ponies trot back over and gather around you for a reunion of the crew, plus one unicorn and two fillies and minus a pink party pony.
You lean back and look over to the Dawn Star, still grounded and waiting in the ruined reception area. She still looks pretty roughed up, but you can’t help but chuckle at the fact that you’ve never been so happy to see a piece of machinery again in all your life.
“So, it looks like you guys got the ship fixed up,” you say.
Mac nods. “Eeyup. Ah won’t call her good as new, but she’s as good as she’s gonna get without a trip back to the berths.”
Applejack throws a hoof around her brother. “The big galoot worked real darn hard on it, too! Y’all would’a been proud!”
He rolls his eyes in response. “Shucks. You, Pinkie an’ Apple Bloom helped just as much. All ah did was direct ya.”
“Ahem,” you hear a polite cough from Rarity and she steps forward. “Regarding that, I believe I owe all of you a bit of an apology. Had I known then what I know now about Anonymous’ relationship with Celestia, I likely wouldn’t have done the whole...”
“...Trying to capture us and wrecking my ship thing?” you finish for her.
“Yes. That. Even though it was a crime of passion, done in the name of friendship, it’s still no excuse.”
You wave her toward the Apple siblings. “You don’t need to apologize to me. They’re the ones who had to fix the mess you made.”
Applejack roughly pats Rarity on the back with her hoof. “Don’t you worry, we’ve got it all figured out. Ah think we’ve found our new farmhand for when the season picks back up! An’ ah even hear she’s willin’ ta work for free! Work day begins at 5:30 every mornin’, startin’ the day after Winter Wrap-Up.”
The unicorn shudders at the thought. “Y-Yes... I promise to be prompt...”
Sweetie Belle giggles at her sister’s misfortune, and Rarity turns an evil eye to her in response.
“...Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you said in front of all those ponies at the wedding. When we get back to Ponyville, I’ll see to it that Mother and Father have you grounded for as long as I can convince them to.”
The unicorn filly’s ears droop. “Awwww... grounded, and no cutie mark! This is the worst day ever...”
“Yeah, I don’t get it,” Scootaloo says, glancing over to you and Celestia. “We reunited ‘em, right? Shouldn’t that count?”
Apple Bloom sighs. “Well... they kinda reunited themselves, so I don’t think it does. Maybe we aren’t cut out for true love reunitin’ after all...”
The three fillies let out a dejected sigh and wallow in their misery for a while until Apple Bloom unexpectedly perks back up.
“Hey! Do you girls wanna see the inside of the airship?”
“Do I?!”
“Really? Cool!”
The three race off toward the Dawn Star’s lowered gantry, and you smile as you watch them go. A pony nose nudges your shoulder and you turn your attention back to the tired alicorn at your side.
“I believe you were about that excited the first time you flew the ship. Perhaps even more so,” she whispers.
“I don’t doubt it.”
Celestia giggles and moves to stand, and you quickly stand with her and allow her to use you as support until she can get all four legs underneath herself.
“Come, walk with me. I have something for you,” she says.
The two of you walk to a more secluded area of the plaza, away from the guards still milling about in the aftermath of the battle and away from the spot where AJ, Mac and Rarity are working to revive the still unconscious Fluttershy. She eventually leads you to one of the far corners, facing the vast city below.
You stare into each other’s eyes for a few moments in silence. And then...
She turns her head back and tries to grab her tail in her mouth, but she can’t quite reach, and she spins in place a few times before huffing with frustration in the cutest way imaginable.
You really, really try to stop yourself from laughing. The keyword being ‘try’.
“W-What are you doing?” you ask.
“This is not funny! I... I need your help...” She flicks her tail over to you. “There’s a braid in my tail. I need you to carefully untangle it, please, and be very gentle with what’s inside.”
“Okay, okay. Give it here.”
You gently take the curly strawberry tail in your hands and start running your fingers through it until you find the braid she mentioned. After a bit of untangling made simple by the amazing dexterity of human fingers, you manage to uncover a small stone within. It looks completely ordinary... could it really be...?
Celestia holds out her hoof. “If you would.”
You place the stone in her hoof and with a blinding flash, it instantly transforms into a fully empowered Orb of Ascension. The radiant surface... the hum of the magic within... there’s no question that it’s the real thing.
“Luna was telling the truth... you really did have one!” you exclaim. “But... but when’d you get it? And how the hell did you braid the damn thing into your tail in the first place?”
She giggles. “I received it at the same time as you, when we were both at the altar. And as for my tail... I couldn’t well keep the thing in my mouth the entire time throughout the trials, so I had some forest vines weave it securely in place for me before we left for camp.” She flashes you a sly smile. “Those hands of yours certainly enjoy finding their way across my mane and coat. Perhaps if they had been a little more adventurous, you’d have discovered it sooner?”
And now it’s her turn to laugh as you try to hide your blush. You clear your head of those thoughts as something important makes its way to the forefront of your mind.
“Cel... Twilight destroyed my Orb. I’m so sorry. If I had it, I’d have given it to you already...”
She nods. “I know, and I understand.”
“But this is great! We can bring your power back, and things’ll finally get back to normal again...” You glance over to the massive airship in the distance, the laughter of the fillies as they run around on deck audible on the wind. “...Or as normal as life can be after all of this.”
She shakes her head. “No, Anon. This Orb wasn’t meant for me. It’s for you.”
Did... did you just hear her right?
“I... what? But why?” you stammer. “What about you?! And what would it even do to me?”
“My power will return to me naturally with time. It’ll be several hundred years, of course, but it will return nonetheless,” she explains as she carefully lies down on the ground, cradling the Orb in her hooves. “As for you... as you know, the Orb boosts the magical potential of the creature that consumes it to its greatest extreme. As you are a creature from another world without inherent magic, there would be no effect.”
“Yeah, so... what would be the point?”
She turns away from you to the horizon. “...The Orb also inducts one into Eternity, to be ageless and undying.”
Your breathing stops. Is she really serious...?
“Anon... it’s not a decision to be taken lightly, and I’ll understand if you refuse. Truly, I will, and would hold nothing against you. But you are... I... I want you in my life, for as long as I’m able to have you. This is more of my own selfishness, but you’re so, so special to me, I...”
She holds her hoof out, and with unsteady hands, you take the Orb from her. Unlike before, it doesn’t transform into a mere stone again. No, not even close.
Instead, the magic thunders through you, overloading all your senses at once. The intensity fades, but still you stare at the shining stone in your hand with awe. Never before have you held an ‘unlocked’ Orb... good god, it’s amazing...
You have to sit down to avoid losing your balance. Eternal life. God, could you really...? Forever with Cel... to say that it sounds pretty damn tempting is an understatement, but the very idea that you’ll live forever... on a certain level, it’s utterly terrifying. You breathe deep, trying to find your voice again.
“I... I... I don’t know if I can...”
She smiles. “I understand. It’s my gift to you, and it’s yours to do with as you like. All that I ask is that you treasure it.”
As carefully as you can, you wrap the Orb in your tuxedo’s pocket square, placing it in your breast pocket, and the two of you begin to move away from the edge to return to the others.
“I will. But there’s something I still don’t get.”
“Hmmm?”
“You knew my Orb was gone, and you still intended to give this one to me... so just how in the world were you planning on beating Twilight without your full power? If I hadn’t figured out that trick with the Geas...”
Celestia merely laughs. “I had a plan, Anon, though it seems I didn’t need to use it. Just what kind of pony do you take me for?” She nuzzles you and whispers into your ear, “And magic or no, I wouldn’t ever allow her to marry you. A promise is a promise, after all.”
You look to the Dawn Star once more, a smile on your face.
“Yeah. A promise is a promise.”
You lean on her slightly as you walk, careful to avoid her injuries, and she leans back. The comforting gesture calms your frayed nerves and gives you a sense of peace you haven’t had since this whole damn ordeal started on that snowy winter morning.
You wave to your friends as you approach where they’ve gathered together near the ship, completely oblivious to the dark clouds gathering on the far edge of the city...