"I will always love you, Celina."
Chapter 18
The Rising Sun
The throne room was a total wreck. Most, if not all of the stained glass windows were completely shattered and there was rubble from the marble floors scattered everywhere. The throne, as well as the the fountain that held it, was in pieces. Standing in the center of the ruin were the Princesses of day and night.
Celestia glanced at the new faces in the room, Cerberus and Twilight, and she huffed at the sight of Dasforah.
"Hello, sister-in-law," said the blue dragon.
"You've truly outdone yourself Luna, going so far as to call the patriarch of your abomination-"
Luna wouldn't hear it. She swiped Celestia across the chest with her hindleg. "That's my family thou art besmirching with thine words!"
The sisters circled each other, looking for a chance to strike. "You just had to mingle," muttered Celestia. "You just had to put a stain on my families name by giving me a half breed for a nephew. If you had just listened to your elders none of this would have happened. It's your fault!" She cast forth a binding spell that wrapped Luna in partially immobilizing chains and brought her to the ground. "I suppose I'm still superior."
Luna snickered. "I am sorry that I haven't had the time to surpass you in magic, seeing how I wasn't even a unicorn for the first decade of my life. There was something else, too. What was it? Oh yes, about a thousand years of solitude. Thank you very much, Celina."
Celestia froze in place. Her already angry demeanor went straight down the path of furious. "Say that again."
"Let us face the truth. The only reason you wanted the half breeds gone was because you couldn't look one straight in the face without thinking of your beloved late husband. Well, I can only imagine how happy you were to see Desmond alive and well, so happy that you had to send Twilight Sparkle to finish him for you because you didn’t have the heart to do it yourself."
Celestia was no longer enraged. She was livid. Her horn's aura was violently bright. “CELINA. IS. DEAD!" Her voice reverberated like she shouted into a canyon.
Despite the bindings Luna was laughing spiritedly. “Ahaha! The royal voice! I still think mine is more intimidating. Yes, that’s right. I am no longer afraid of you, because when I see you, I only see a frightened little filly compensating for a broken heart.”
“THAT IS IT! NO MORE TIME OUTS! YOU’RE DEAD!” Celestia’s hoof came down on Luna’s neck. She lowered her horn, ready to cast a finishing blow.
Cerberus and Twilight were too stunned by the emotional battle between the Princesses to react, but Dasforah wasn’t. He pounced, pinning Celestia down and taking in the full force of her spell. Even that wasn’t enough to do him in, only leaving him unconscious. Cerberus barred his teeth. His father was out cold and his mother was prone. He couldn’t just sit idly by and watch.
“Twilight, do it now!” he yelled.
Twilight nodded and cast a repulsion shield around Cerberus, which absorbed most of the rapid-fire magic missiles from Celestia, but it couldn’t withstand a pillar of light that the Princess summoned from above, sending Cerberus back to square one.
“Oh, do go on, children. By all means, keep trying.”
Twilight glanced at Cerberus and whispered, “Cracker-jack.”
Cerberus smirked, rolling his eyes. “Hoh, boy.”
Twilight slid behind Cerberus and set off a radial explosion, sending him through the air at breakneck speeds. Celestia had barely enough time to set up a barrier, which shattered on impact, leaving her open to Cerberus’ sideswipe. Twilight followed up with a lightning spell that stunned the Princess, but for the barest second. Cerberus did an aerial buck that collided with nothing. Celestia had teleported behind Cerberus, and with a swing of her hindleg, he was tossed aside. He hit the ground running and counterattacked with a large fireball, and Celestia effortlessly blocked.
“Not good enough, nephew.”
“I know, it was brilliant.”
“What?”
Cerberus ducked to the side as Celestia looked over her shoulder and was met with Twilight and her summoned scimitars. Twilight swung down, the blades slicing through the tendons on Celestia’s withers, barely missing her wing joints.
“I never taught you that...” Hissing in pain, Celestia hid behind another barrier. Golden Ichor dripped from her wounds, which were healing much slower than they should have.
Cerberus regrouped with Twilight, who winked. “Just a little something from Star Swirl the Bearded’s secret files. Did you think the time spell was the only thing I picked up in there?”
“Should have seen that coming. I wonder how my old master would react if he could see his own spells being used for my undoing?”
“He’d probably thank me.” Twilight’s eyes flashed for a moment as she brought her scimitars to her side.
“Two can play at that game.” Celestia’s shield dispersed and reformed into an oversized claymore sword.
Twilight charged and made a broad swing with both her swords, clashing against Celestia’s. She dodged left and jumped. Celestia sliced at Twilight, but left herself open for Cerberus to sweep her hooves from beneath her.
Celestia’s sword disappeared as she lost her balance and fell on her side. Twilight’s eyes widened in excitement. “We can finish this without the other Elements! Cerberus!”
He nodded, grim determination clear on his face. Celestia lay before him, panting softly as he reared back, his jaws coming open, fangs sharp and ready for the plunge. He looked to Twilight, who just nodded solemnly, saying in a detached voice, “Do it.”
Cerberus shot forward... and stopped. He whimpered at the sight of Celestia's horn, suddenly aglow with an ungodly black light. A shuddering gasp left the half dragon's body, his breath catching in his throat as he fell to his side, writhing in pain.
“Cerberus!” shouted Twilight.
Celestia smiled smugly. “Ah... Right on schedule. Just as it has been for the past thousand years.”
Twilight looked outside. "The eclipse..." She watched in mounting horror as the sun closed in upon the moon, and Celestia teleported to the remains of her throne, surrounding herself with a white shield. Twilight exhausted herself trying to destroy the shield, but to no avail. Celestia was untouchable, and the eclipse was making her power escalate by the second. Her reverberating voice returned, speaking the incantation that would bring everything the Lunar Republic had fought for to an end. “Munditia servetur regni mei. Uanitatem finem daemones expellere se ab oculis meis. Nocte, vim desinit et omnes protestando voces sunt ad requiem!”
"Let's see how we can fix that up... now hold still, you'll only make it worse, and we don't want that now, do we?" Rarity used her horn to numb the bleeding hooves of another unicorn.
"No, Miss Rarity."
Rarity applied the anesthesia to the colt, then moved over to Alpha the Changeling to mend his broken leg.
Spike sat on a makeshift couch of sandbags in the corner of the alleyway, sharpening a diamond sword that he crafted back in the Draconic Lands. "Hey Rarity? I think I got nicked a little back there. Could I get a kiss?"
"Oh, you little flirt. Please let me work- um, are you okay?"
Spike coughed and felt an ache in his belly, only for a moment. Perhaps his body was still adjusting his sudden wing growth. "I'm fine. I think I just-" he looked up. "Is it getting darker?"
Through the falling snow, Spike, Rarity and the many wounded in the alleyway could see a patch of sky where the moon was blocking out the sun, darkening the sky, along with everything else in sight. "Oh no..." uttered Rarity. "This is what Heretic warned us about."
Spike scratched his head. "What's gonna happen now?"
"Miss Rarity! Look!" one of the wounded, a blue colt with butterfly wings, pointed to the castle. From the peak of the tallest tower radiated several waves of black magic. Literally black.
Spike started sweating profusely. He clutched his chest, then his arms, everything he could get a grip on. "Rarity... I... I feel..." then he felt for his throat. "I can't breath." His pupils shrank, his fingers twitched, then he started screaming. "AAAUGH! NO! RARITY! HELP ME!"
Rarity tried to force him to get a grip. "SPIKE! Tell me what's wrong! Oh sweet Luna, is this the eclipse's doing?"
"Indirectly."
Heretic slowly walked past the alleyway with a vacant expression, red irises and mussed up hair. His glasses were absent. "Celestia can use solar power to increase magical potential. Eclipse magnifies solar power. Celestia's power increases exponentially. Use any spell without limitation. Spell in use predates Star Swirl the Bearded. Strictly forbidden. Almost unheard of. Targeted holocaust. Overloads every nerve and muscle in targeted victim. Inevitable death." He finally inhaled, and fell flat on the cobblestone, still conscious. "We've lost."
"How do we stop it?" asked Rarity."
"Can't. We've lost."
"What can we do?"
"Don't. We've lost."
The butterfly winged colt and the other wounded half breeds joined Spike in yelling, twitching and thrashing in the worst pain imaginable.
Alpha screeched in his haunting insect-like voice, until it gave out. His horn cracked, then shattered at the base, and the lights left his eyes.
Rarity stepped away, absolutely lost and horrified. "She's killing every half breed in Canterlot with this spell?!"
Heretic continued to ramble without blinking. "Not just half breeds. We've lost."
Spike was in pain too. Rarity realized what this meant. "Every dragon too?"
"Anything Celestia wants. Anywhere. Across Equestria. Across entire world. We've lost."
The screams of those Celestia deemed unworthy to live echoed across Canterlot for only purebred ponies to hear.
"We've lost."
Rainbow Dash and Judas looked into the ballroom between them and the way forward, and saw at least two full platoons of pegasus and earthwalker guards, with a small scattering of unicorns. Judas looked out into the room and sighed. “Hey, Dash. D’you know how to dance?”
“Yeah? Why?”
“Because, I want to see if you know this one.”
“What?” Dash went to step into the room, but Judas held her back.
“Sorry, Dash, but this is a solo dance.”
“No way! Your wounds haven’t healed yet! I can’t-”
“Dash.” Judas’ voice was calm, almost as icy as Winter’s. “Our time’s up." she pointed out the broken windows at the dying dragons and half breeds underneath the eclipse. "My little brother’s out there with only Twilight and his mom for backup. He needs you and your friends at the moment more than he needs big sis to wipe his snout.” Judas’ smirk came back full force, a hard glint in her eyes. “If there's something you still don't understand, it's that no matter how hard you, Cerberus or anypony else I love tries, they will never be as badass as me."
"Judas..." Rainbow looked pleadingly at her friend.
"Hey, don't get all mopey on me. Bubblemint said it himself, 'At any cost.'"
“I know that, but-” she tried to intervene, but Judas didn't falter. She walked proudly forward, not limping nor hesitating.
“You can't have this one. It takes two to tango, but only one for a ballroom blitz!” Before Rainbow could stop her, Judas threw herself at the nearest pegasus guard. They tumbled to the ground in a flurry of feathers, a snik signifying the end of unlucky colt’s life. Judas flipped over a unicorn’s spear, gripped it in her mouth and slipped it in between the ribs of a charging earthwalker.
Judas ducked beneath the earthwalker’s body and launched it into the air, knocking aside a few pegasi before they could take flight. “DASH! Get your friends! My brother needs you!”
An overzealous unicorn advanced with his horn aimed for her heart. She leaped atop his head and steered him into another unicorn’s summoned sword. She looked down at the guards, a shiteating grin on her face. “I’ll take you all down to Tartarus with me! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!”
Rainbow Dash couldn't hear anything, aside from the blood pounding through her head. She didn't shed a tear. She wasn't sad, nor was she angry. There was just nothing. Nothing to feel, nothing to lose, only the knowledge of what she had to do. First, she closed her eyes. Then, she flew.
“Remember this... Rainbow Dash...”
Rarity was pinned down with little chance of escape. Whatever chance she did have before was on the ground, twitching and thrashing in the worst pain imaginable. Spike couldn't defend Rarity, and she had worn herself out performing what little offensive magic she knew. As she staggered backwards against the stone wall, she shouted at the countless unicorn soldiers that surrounded her.
"Wait! I'm a medic! You can't kill the medic! Isn't that part of your code?"
The one closest to her responded. "You weren't supposed to bring in an army of dragons."
Well, there was no arguing with that. All is fair and love and war, Rarity supposed. Only love was a young dragon that was entirely defenseless and the war was close to being lost for the Lunar Republic, because even the large dragons weren't strong enough against the black magic that had been cast forth from this deadly eclipse.
Rarity lowered her head, ready to accept her fate-
"RARITY!" A streak of rainbow pulled Rarity back to her senses and away from the battle.
“Never give up... I believe in you...”
Pinkie Pie could only sit and wait. She was too weak to move away from the balcony, and too sad to stay optimistic. There were no smiles to be had in war, no matter how she looked at it. It only took this long for the reality to hit her. Everypony was dying. Celestia was winning this fight. Soon, there would be no more smiling for her and her friends. What good was laughter in the face of death?
Then, she remembered. Back on that somber rock farm, when she couldn't bear another day of moving rocks under a gray sky, she saw that rainbow that turned her into the happy go lucky party pony she was today. She just closed her eyes and imagined that rainbow, so she could smile before this battle ended.
Huh, she thought, That rainbow looks really real... In fact, when she opened her eyes, the rainbow was still there, flying right towards her...
“I will always believe in you. You should believe in yourself.”
Applejack felt like a coward. She was outside the field of battle, tossing explosives, when she could have been putting her legs to good use. She could have been helping her friends. She didn't know whether they were alive or dead. If she was supposed to be the most honest of all ponies, why was she lying to herself? This is not okay. This is not alright. Stop telling yourself they'll be fine on their own. They need me!
But, she wouldn't be abandoning her post anytime soon. Big Macintosh had just thrown the last apple grenade, which turned out to be a dud, and several pegasi soldiers were closing in on their position. Applejack was ready to defend herself and her family, at any cost, even her own life.
She got into a feral stance, and bucked the first soldier to cross the line of defense. He landed on a catapult and shattered it. "How do ya like them apples!?" shouted Applejack.
She then felt a strong hoof pat her on the back. Big Macintosh was trying to get her attention. He pointed to the sky. "How do you like them apples?"
There was the multicolored streak, flying between buildings and bowling over any soldiers in sight, even knocking every descending pegasus out of the sky. Applejack knew what this was. She could feel it. She looked at Big Mac and her little sister Applebloom. "Ah gotta go. See y'all soon."
“Believe in the me that believes in you...”
The dying dragons, some falling out of the sky to the hard ground, some suffering a slower and more painful demise. Fluttershy knew that her Cerberus was out there, somewhere, writhing in pain. The thought of the love of her life dying without her by his side was worse than a dagger in her heart. It was like being struck by lightning and drowning at the same time. She didn't know where he was, much of the same for the rest of her friends.
It was hopeless. There was nothing more she could do. She could only hope to survive long enough to attend Cerberus' funeral.
She could see rainbow reflections through the tears stinging her eyes... one of those rainbows was moving rather fast, and right towards her...
“Later... buddy...”
Twilight felt like she was about to break internally. She had failed. Cerberus was wailing and moaning, cursed to perish in the worst way possible. Luna was twitching in her bindings too, suffering all the same. She reached out to her dying son, unable to move or say last words to him. Dasforah was in pain too, only sleeping through it. The whole family was at last together, only in their dying moments, and Twilight was blaming herself.
"CELESTIA!" she yelled as her tears fell to the floor, "PLEASE, NO MORE!"
Celestia looked up from her meditative position inside her white shield, though her eyes remained shut. "I will not stop for your pleas, nor anypony else's."
"That's not what I meant!" Twilight whimpered, trying to avoid choking on her shame. "If you're going to kill them, then... kill me too!"
The Princess then opened her eyes. "Come again?"
Twilight lost all feeling in her legs and collapsed. Trembling on the floor, she continued to shout. "Please, kill me! I can't do this anymore! Get it over with already! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!"
The opportunity had finally presented itself. Twilight was surrendering to her enemy. Celestia could finish her off at will. But she didn't. She only lowered her head. "Twilight, I can't-"
There was the sound of shattering glass.
The window depicting the Elements of Harmony’s triumph over Nightmare Moon was turned to dust when the most beautiful rainbow Twilight had ever seen shot through, coating the throne room in brilliant shades of every color imaginable. The rainbow dispersed. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy landed on the marble floors. A cursed Spike landed next to Cerberus, and Rainbow Dash flew straight for Twilight.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” yelled Rainbow as she cocked her hoof. “LET’S SEE YA GRIT THOSE TEETH!”
The hoof landed right in Twilight’s face and she was thrown into the wall, leaving a crack. After that collision the world seemed much more dizzy, but also a lot clearer. She was ready to give up on life so quick when she had friends to back her up the whole time. It was like the spark inside her mind during the fight with Nightmare Moon had come back, only as Rainbow Dash belting her.
"Snapped out of it yet?" said Rainbow Dash.
Twilight shook off the headache.
"Is that a no? If it is, I'll punch you again and again until you do!" Rainbow pounded her hooves together.
"I'm fine!" shouted Twilight. She sighed. "Thank you."
"This fight ain't over yet Twilight. You still have some work to do."
"What can I possibly do?"
"You were Celestia's brightest student, Twi!" said Applejack as she adjusted her hat.
"I know you can throw some brilliant plan together!" said Rarity.
Twilight looked to Fluttershy, who was doing her best to console Cerberus with her signature comforting smile. His twitching seemed to have stopped a little bit. She then turned to Twilight. "Show us how much you care..."
Pinkie hopped over and got right up in Twilight's face. "Put on a smile and do what you do best!"
Cerberus managed to look Twilight straight in the eye. He needed her. Everypony needed her.
"What is it that you do best?" the other Elements of Harmony asked her.
"Magic." said Twilight, with a new spark of determination in her eye. "...and friendship."
That spark is what motivated Twilight to step forward to the first step of the stairs leading to Celestia's throne. The Princess looked dead center at her former student. "Make your move." she said.
Twilight inhaled and exhaled, clearing her mind of every stray thought and doubt. She closed her eyes, and focused on her goal.
She pictured a light in her mind, staying in place, never moving. Then, she imagined moving this light. Moving it away from its peak and to the horizon. Something was resisting her control over this light, something much more powerful than her. Twilight drew more energy from deep inside her to fight back against the superior force. She couldn't lose. She couldn't allow herself to lose. She thought of everything she was fighting for, and how she got here.
Her best friends in the entire world that had never left her side...
The Princess of the Night who fought for what she believed in...
A half breed that was on the verge of death in the Everfree forest...
Every pony in Equestria, and all the creatures beyond its borders that had suffered at the hooves of Celestia...
The truth... the most important thing of all, the truth...
All these things gave Twilight hope and strength, enough strength to overpower the superior force, and take full control of the light.
"NO! HOW?!"
The throne room had darkened, as the clashing between the sun had ended, and settled into a silent evening. The eclipse was gone. The screaming stopped. Everything stopped.
"You... moved the sun... my sun," muttered Celestia, sans her impenetrable shield and her pride. "How?" she asked again. She slowly stood and approached a silent Twilight. "How did you do it? I never taught you that. That is something only I can do. I am the chosen one. How. Did. You do it?"
Twilight's eyelids remained shut and her mouth remained unopened.
Celestia's quiet rage broke. "ANSWER ME, TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!"
The unicorn slowly rose from the marble floor and slowly opened her eyes. A brilliant magenta aura pushed Celestia away, enveloped Twilight's entire being and lifted her into the air.
The magenta aura branched out and surrounded the entire throne room. The torn banners depicting the Solar Empire's insignia changed to bear a six pointed star, the same one on Twilight's flank. All damage done to the throne room was washed away, the craters and burns on the floor disappearing, the stained glass windows repairing themselves in an instant. The broken throne was renewed.
The aura returned to Twilight and took shape upon her back, forming large, majestic wings. Her horn grew longer and sharper. Golden hoof rings materialized around her limbs. Finally, the sixth Element of Harmony, the Element of Magic, took its place on her forehead.
Twilight Sparkle, the alicorn, spread her wings and stood tall among the other Elements in a hexagonal formation. "I am the Princess of the Sun," she said, facing a bewildered Celestia, who squinted and clenched her teeth, taking a step forward. Twilight readied herself for a final confrontation, but it was unnecessary. Celestia retracted that first step. She pointed her nose to the ceiling.
"Go on."
Initially shocked, but understanding what had to be done, Twilight let the Element of Magic lead the other five, the Elements of Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Honesty and Generosity, in the psychedelic wave of pure light that shook the throne room and consumed Celestia. Her light began to fade, her body was reduced to the size of a mortal mare, and her wings burned away feather by feather, until a weak white pink maned unicorn was all that remained, lying on the red carpet in front of the new throne, drawing labored breaths.
Twilight was overcome with regret, knowing she had brought her former teacher to the lowest point of her existence. She approached the dying mare. She looked just as pathetic as Twilight had when she was begging for death. With great empathy and sympathy, she brushed Celestia's pink hair out of her face to reveal tearful eyes. The former Princess spoke in a hushed and weak voice. "What have you learned about friendship, my most faithful student?"
It had been so long since Twilight had heard that from Celestia that she nearly shed a tear, but she knew that longing for the past would bring about nothing good. She searched her mind for what she learned coming this far, about purity and corruption, and what lies beyond the naked eye, but what had she learned during this emotional and physical trial?
"Never let anyone hurt your friends."
Celestia's smile grew wider as she nodded.
"Not my best lesson learned, is it?"
"It's good enough for me," said Celestia. She held out her hoof, and Twilight took it, as if she was holding on to her teacher's lifeline. "I've never been more proud of you." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for the last time. "Good night... Twilight Sparkle..."
Celestia's hoof fell from Twilight's, and hit the floor, limp as a fallen branch, and like her wings did before, she faded away, passing on to the next life without a trace.
The snow had stopped falling and the thunder was no longer rolling.
There was no celebration, no triumphant fanfare, no party in the streets. Despite the Lunar Republic's apparent desire to end the life of Princess Celestia, their victory felt bittersweet. While they had followed through on their goal and taken Equestria for their own, they had also taken the life of an immortal that had protected them from harm in the past, and this was how they showed their appreciation, a revolution.
"So this is what justice feels like." said Cerberus to himself as he stood in the wreckage of an old donut shop he used to steal from. He looked out over the snow-covered fields below Canterlot, glistening in the moonlight.
"Well... you're free." Fluttershy approached and stood next to him.
"I'm not going to say it wasn't worth it, because it was. Um, you've got a little..." Cerberus wiped away a smudge of dirt on Fluttershy's nose. She gave a small sneeze and chuckled, then leaned in a little closer.
They both sat down and admired the beautiful landscape in silence, at least for a moment, before the quiet was interrupted by the emotionally distraught Heretic.
"How-could-I-have-been-so-asinine!" He stomped down the descending cobblestone pathway. His glasses were back on, but his eyes were no less bloodshot from hours of crying. "I made a miscalculation. I just knew it. Something was off. But what?!"
He stopped and stared at the numerous stretchers and cots that unicorns, rebels and loyalists alike, had gathered their wounded and dead. Despite all that, Pinkie Pie was happily hopping along the trail with an extra spring in her step, as her melodious voice sang out. "Oooooh, V is for this very special daaaaaaay, I is for-"
What was sure to be a very memorable if not out of place musical number was interrupted by Heretic forcing his hoof upon Pinkie's muzzle. "Don't."
Pinkie held her arms out wide. "Aw, why the long face? Set phasers to hug!"
"I-don't-need-a-hug!" Heretic wrestled his way out of her grip. "So many comrades lost their lives today and it's because of me! I planned this! I had everything right, and I still couldn't save everypony!"
Shaking his head at the naive self deprecation, Cerberus stood and spoke. "We all knew that from the start." he said. "That's war. Death is hardly avoidable."
Heretic ran to Cerberus and leaned on him by his forelegs, looking him dead in the eye. "Are you really as emotionless as the conspiracies said?! Because of me, Winter is-"
He stopped with his ranting at the sight of one particular stretcher. From under the white sheet hung a purple hoof, adorned with tribal tattoos...
Heretic, heart, mind and spirit simply shattered. "No..."
The dead were put to rest in black caskets set across the royal Canterlot gardens.
Cerberus didn't know why he didn't feel sad. He knew what this meant; he wouldn't see Judas Blackwing or Winter Solstice ever again. Perhaps he had felt so much misery in his life that this felt trivial in comparison. Did he see this coming? Was he in denial? Either way, he held on to his happy thought as he rested his head on Judas' casket.
"I remember that night when we hid in the cave from the guards. You told me, 'It's just like hide and seek.' Then I asked you, 'Aren't you afraid of getting caught?' You didn't talk much after that, but you told me before I fell asleep, 'All I want is for you to be safe. If I had the choice between going back to that shallow life of luxury or dying in battle to save you, I'd take the latter.' Looks like you followed through on that promise." He took a knife he borrowed from Hephaestus' workshop from his bag of holding. He had yet to find a use for it, until now. He carved an etching of Judas' cutie mark into the lid of the casket. "I love you, big sister."
"My fellow Equestrians..."
Princess Twilight Sparkle descended from a warm glow in the sky to many stunned and applauding ponies.
"Former Princess Celestia is dead and I have ascended. To the throne, and to a higher level of existence. I will be your immortal Princess of the Sun from this day forth."
More applause, but it dwindled as Twilight waved her hoof.
"The time for celebration must wait. In recent memory, we see only the hate and corruption for the impure when we think of our late Princess. However, as her most faithful student, I remember something greater. Celestia once loved and cared for me as she did anypony else. Every day she raised the sun for us and never once thought ill of ponykind. It is a shame that her love for Equestria was outshined by her hatred of half breeds, but never forget those days when we thought highly of her. As such I think it should be appropriate, if you wish to participate, to have moment of silence for Celestia, wherever she is now."
The soldiers that had fought for Celestia bowed their heads and removed their helmets in mourning without pause. The rebels were more reluctant to do so, but most of them eventually found the part of them that still respected her, particularly the Elements of Harmony. Only Cerberus and Heretic saw no reason to mourn Celestia, and even if Heretic did, he was occupied with clutching Judas' casket as tight as he could.
"For now," Twilight continued, "times of reconstruction lie ahead. Lay down your arms, look to the sky. The clouds have cleared and Spring is upon us. It is time for the Lunar Republic to bring new life into Equestria, and for the half breeds to come out of hiding. The bloodshed is over. Say your last words to your lost ones, then return to where you belong."
Princess Twilight and the ponies that had fought alongside her quietly walked away from the caskets of their fallen comrades, away from the sorrowful memories, except for Heretic, who was still leaning on Judas' casket.
"You were the only one who has the guts to insult me. You were never afraid to insult me..." he wiped the ever flowing tears from his eyes. "Why aren't you insulting me?!" He was so desperate to hang on, that he was enraged at the others whom he felt dismissed death so casually. He shouted through his tears at the departing soldiers, rebel and loyalist alike. "So that's it then? After everything we fought for, you cry for your tyrant princess and ignore everything else, is that it? My best friends are dead! Where's your respect?" He was shedding angry tears, and his voice was becoming hoarse. "Where's your damn respect?! What is wrong with you?! This isn't right!!" The weight of grief proved too much for Heretic to handle. He collapsed and let his glasses fall into a puddle. He didn't bother to pick them up. "This isn't right... I planned it all out... I planned everything..." Nopony remained to hear his sobs and quiet mumbling, except for Pinkie Pie. "It's... my... fault..."
Pinkie put a reassuring arm around Heretic, who let his tears flow freely as he hugged one of the only close friends he had who was still alive. "Heretic." she said, "Smile."
"Pinkie..." he whispered. "Please... just call me Bubblemint."
"My son." Luna spoke proudly as Cerberus descended the steps leading out of Canterlot.
"Mother." he responded
The two embraced as a mother and son would, as they were finally free to be a family.
"Where's dad?" asked Cerberus.
Luna's happy expression was plagued with slight sadness, but not enough to wipe away her smile. "Dasforah loves you. You know he does. He just didn't want to say goodbye. He was never good at that sort of thing."
Cerberus was disappointed that he hardly had any time to speak to Dasforah, especially after the many years of absence. He took a deep breath and let the more positive thoughts flow.
"I've never liked to say goodbye either." said Twilight Sparkle.
"Wait, what?" Cerberus had failed to comprehend what becoming an alicorn meant for her. He couldn't come to the conclusion before many voices shouted out Twilight's name. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy ran to bring Twilight into one of their signature group hugs, laughing all the while. Cerberus backed away to let them be. This was their moment.
"This is just wonderful! Alicorns have a natural beauty unmatched by even the most prestigious ponies in any corner of the world, but just to see the transformation on you... it's done wonders for your curves-"
Applejack nudged Rarity to silence her obsessive fawning. "So, how does it feel, Twi?"
"Not too different from normal. I'll have to get used to the wings. I also seem to have gotten stronger. That must be the power of earthwalkers."
"All the awesome qualities of the pure breeds thrown into a blender!" said Rainbow Dash as she put her foreleg over Pinkie's shoulder. "Hey, Pinks. We should throw a party for her, eh?"
"Yeah! A 'We won a war' slash 'Freed the half breeds' slash 'Twilight is a Princess now' party!"
Fluttershy quietly agreed with a nod.
Twilight couldn't stop smiling as she basked in the heartwarming emotional support of her best friends. "I'm so happy..." Truth be told, she had many emotions coursing through her besides happiness, but the most obvious one showed in the tears of dread streaming from her closed eyes, contrasting her smile.
"Is something wrong?" asked Fluttershy.
"That... party will have to wait." said Twilight. "For now, it's time for some peace and quiet."
"That's just fine n' dandy." said Applejack. "Let's go home then, shall we?" She began to walk proudly down the steps, then was stopped by Luna's hoof.
"Fair Applejack, I'm afraid Twilight will not be returning to Ponyville on this day."
This was met with many protests.
"Ya can't not come back with us, Twi!"
"You belong in Ponyville!"
"It's your home!"
It took a while for all of them to calm themselves so Twilight could bring comfort to their worries.
"Years ago, I made friends with all of you and learned the true meaning of friendship, but then I was concerned I had to leave for Canterlot. This time, there is nothing I can do. The Lunar Republic still needs its Princesses. I have to stay. These wings come with a heavy burden."
She walked past her close friends towards Cerberus. "Um, yes?" he asked.
The response was unexpected. Twilight kissed him on the cheek, leading him to blush furiously, much to his embarrassment and Fluttershy's chagrin (Rainbow Dash had to hold her back from tackling Twilight).
Twilight tried to hide a blush of her own while her voice maintained composure. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"If it weren't for you, this wouldn't have happened to me."
"That's a mixed compliment. Sure, you're essentially a deity now, but-"
"You worry too much. Just be happy knowing that after a life of running, you've finally helped create something." Twilight lifted Cerberus head to look him in the eye. "And that I love you."
With that, she turned around and ascended the stairs, with Princess Luna following closely behind, though she stopped to say some last words to her best friends.
"I love all of you. Remember that."
Five Elements of Harmony watched in deep sadness as Twilight walked farther away from the home in their hearts down the path she had chosen.
"Oh, one more thing." Her horn began to glow, the light shining brighter than before, and the sky before the horizon began to lighten, and the sun, the real sun, not Luna's replica, slowly rose above to illuminate a reborn Equestria and melt the snow of a fallen kingdom. This sun had a slightly different tint than Celestia's, like Twilight's magical aura it was magenta around the fringe, and as such the morning sky was more colorful and beautiful than any other sunrise before it.
"I look forward to seeing your sun every morning before I retreat to bed, my sister," said Princess Luna as she admired the morning, wishing under her breath that she had a poet on hoof.
Basking in the dawn of a new age, the new Princess of the Sun parted ways with her friends, who walked the long trail back to Ponyville, ready to spread the message of the Lunar Republic's victory to all of Equestria, and bring the surviving half breeds out of the shadows into Princess Twilight's beautiful sunlight.
As for Cerberus and Fluttershy, they held each other close and passionately kissed every time they they had the chance, and one of those times, as they embraced mid-flight in front of a gorgeous sunset over Fillydelphia, Cerberus whispered "I wish you could see this view."
Fluttershy laughed with a hint of confusion. "I'm right here, silly."
"Actually, I was talking to... somepony else."
"Judas?"
"No... Nero."