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Co-author: Architect
"If one has to sacrifice themselves to ensure the survival of others, they are obligated to do so. No matter what the cost. But one must make it worthwhile or the act may not mean anything. A foolish mistake made without any foresight is not only useless, it can lead to the downfall of those it was supposed to protect" ~Princess Celestia .
Canterlot Castle
Celestia was enjoying her afternoon cake and tea with Luna in the castle gardens, while pondering a most unusual sequence of events. One month previously, a radio pulse had reverberated through the planet, shaking the world to its foundation and informing its inhabitants that they were very not alone in this universe. When Luna had traced the signal back the signal, they’d found a planet, ravaged by natural disasters and covered with the remains of countless civilizations.
The inhabitants of that world, the ‘humans,’ as they called themselves, were leaving, packing their best and brightest into giant flying ships, and preparing to send them deep into the void of space. When Luna had observed them more closely, she found out that they were leaving after an incident they only referred to as ‘The Great Mistake' and that their world was fading, unable to support them anymore.
Normally, seeing a race brought to such lows would only make the observers feel superior, proud of themselves for not falling into the same traps. However, the royal sisters had felt an unexpected surge of pity for the unlucky species, as well as wonder at their accomplishments.
After much thought, Celestia had finally decided she wanted to try to help the humans, and was pondering the best way to broach the subject. She was just about to open her mouth when she felt a massive drain through her link with the sun that orbited Equestria. She could feel her magic -- no, her very life-force-- ...being sucked out of her like she was the victim of the world’s most overzealous blood donation nurse.
Luna, meanwhile, only saw her sister freeze mid-conversation, struggling not to faint. It was almost as if somepony had suddenly dropped a mountain on her back. At the same time the sun, the source of their light and life, flickered, dimming and brightening in a disturbing cadence. She saw her sister's horn light up, casting a spell that seemed only to add to the weight. After several agonizing moments, the glow finally faded, and the sun returned to it’s usual brilliance as Celestia slumped in her seat. Celestia looked up wearily at her sister as Luna rushed to her side.
“Sister, what happened? You look like you went to the ends of Equestria and back. And the sun! I’ve never seen it do that before.” Luna anxiously looked her sister over, who was obviously exhausted by the ordeal. Her mane had lost its ethereal waves and shading, and her wings hung limp at her sides instead of their usual full spread.
After resting a short while, Celestia finally managed to answer “It’s happening, sister, at long last. The sun is dying.” Another few seconds passed before she continued. “Our time is up... The only reason why it still shines is its link to me. It’s feeding off of my life to keep itself burning.”
Luna looked at her sister for a while. “Nice try, Tia, tricking me to think that you might die just because the sun ran out of juice. You have to try better than that to pull one off on me.” She started to laugh before noticing her sister was still not looking too well. “Wait, this is not a prank? Tia how can this be possible. I thought this was resolved when unicorns first started raising the sun.”
“So did, I, Lulu,” Celestia replied. “But it seems they were mistaken. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say we’ve got 10 years until the sun expends my power, 11 if we’re lucky. I just wish there was a way to save my little ponies.” Luna was somber for a moment, then her eyes sparked and a slightly crazy grin adorned her features. “Lulu, what are you planning...”
“I’m not sure yet,” said Luna, “but I think I might have a way. I’ll need to speak to Twilight posthaste.” She turned and, after making sure one last time that her sister was ok, flew out of the gardens and set a course for Ponyville. Her idea was wild, cuckoo, crazy, completely bonkers, and so insanely stupid it just might work.
“You’re serious!?” exclaimed Twilight, staring at Luna like she’d grown a second head and an extra wing. “Do you have any idea what it would take to build one those things? I sure don’t! We’d need decades of breakneck research to get even a simple orbit, let alone something capable of flying to another star!”
“Well, you have 10 years.” declared Luna. “If you can’t pass this test, when our world dies we die with it.”
“But how am I supposed to design, invent and build all the necessary science and infrastructure to have a shot at achieving this technological wonder? I like a good challenge but this is way beyond me, Princess,” Twilight replied, a few strands of hair sticking out of her mane.
“Did it not occur to you that I did not say you will be doing it alone? You will henceforth be known as the Princess of Science, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of our understanding and getting us into orbit. Just say what you need and Tia and I will provide it. After all, everything we hold dear is at stake.”
Twilight thought for a minute, then a stream of orders came out of her mouth, rapidly filling a scroll with the personal and equipment required. The most important item was a scrying lens, to allow her to spy on the human’s engineers as the they worked.
“I'm sure we can get all the best scholars and engineers in the world to work on it, but given how far behind the humans we are when it comes to technology, it is going to take us several years to reach the estimated level we’d need to be able to carry out construction on such a scale.”
“Well, you have a few more years than several, Twilight,” Luna replied with an air of finality, before adding, “Remember, the fate of our kind and all others on Equus now rests in your hooves. Tia and I will do our best to manage your duties and the population, and keep any potential trouble from disturbing you so you can focus on the task at hand. Now if you'll excuse me I need to return to Canterlot to raise the moon. I bid you good night.” After striding to the balcony of Twilight’s castle, she took off, leaving a rather bewildered Alicorn princess behind as the importance of her task started to sink in. Twilight spent the entire night after the meeting drawing up plans, speeches and schedules. Pausing to wipe her brow, she said, “Save all of Ponykind? Yeah. No pressure, Twilight.”
Celestia concentrated, and raised the sun for the last time. By having the unicorns control its movements, and later herself, Equestria had managed to buy itself a few thousand more years of life. But now that time had ended. The last morning’s light shone upon their work, a massive fleet of spaceships, ready to launch their precious cargo of sentient life on a journey to the world the humans had decided to settle. While this may have been the end of Equestria, it wouldn’t be the end of the Ponies, or the Griffins, or the Minotaurs, or any of the other sentients who called this planet home.
Despite her weakened state she still managed a smile. Twilight Sparkle, her faithful student has outdone herself once again. She had, with the time limit of only a short decade, completely revolutionized the entire land’s industrial and scientific community, uniting them towards a common goal.
Her smile widened a bit as Twilight’s friends rose to the surface of her mind. Each and every one had proven herself as a just, moral, and competent leader over the years, and had in time earned Twilight’s reward, and ascended to Alicorn-Hood themselves. Normally this would have been cause for a nationwide celebration, but with the world’s end so close, there just wasn’t the time or money to spare.
“We’re ready, Celestia,” came an all too familiar voice.
“Twilight? It’s good to see you again,” Celestia replied said as she turned to look at her. Princess Twilight was as young and chipper as she’d been when she first finished Starswirl’s final spell, bar a minor growth spurt. Celestia, by contrast, was a shadow of her former glory due to the sun’s continuous sapping of her energy. She had shrunk considerably, and now stood even with Twilight and Princess Cadance. Her mane no longered shimmered eatherialy, reverting to it’s original, normal form and pink color. With every step she took, her legs would wobble and threaten to give way under what little bodyweight she still possessed.
"Well... I guess this is goodbye then Celestia. Thank you, f-for everything." Twilight said, tearing up. " Who would have thought? Us leaving our peaceful world to explore the depths of space like those humans we found." They stared at each other, teacher and student, yet also Princess and Princess, before the hugged, long and hard, as they wouldn’t see each other again. Celestia could not leave her star behind, any more than she could harm one of her subjects.
They separated after what felt like eons, and looked down from the balcony, gazing out across the rockets that would bring the crew and supplies up to the actual spaceships they would be using to travel. Five other sites, each filled with ships and cargo, and each supplying a different starship, were scattered all over Equestria, near major cities like Manehatten and Cloudsdale. Each of Twilight's friends was overseeing the preparations at each site. It was a sight both sad and beautiful, the promise of death and the hope of rebirth tied into the hulks of steel and plastic.
"Princess Celestia, are you ok?" The question snapped her out of her bittersweet contemplations. Twilight was looking at her, an open question on her face. "I’m fine Twilight. Just thinking about what you’re about to do." she replied.
They heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching before the door to the balcony opened, revealing Princess Luna. “Twilight, may I have a word with you?” she asked.
Twilight excused herself and followed Luna inside. Luna stopped in the corridor outside Celestia’s room, and turned to face her. " So, what is it Luna?”
"I just wanted to thank you on behalf of our entire population and my sister for all you have accomplished. Even Star Swirl the Bearded didn’t make such an impact." Luna started.
"It was nothing really Princess Luna,” Twilight interrupted, blushing under the praise, “I couldn’t have done it without my friends, who stood by my side through everything we faced. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible."
"Then I hope to see that your friendship shall continue to serve you and bond you and your friends closer together. You will need them in the coming trials." Luna continued, her voice taking a slightly darker tone “I have seen over the years how close bonds among ponies shatter due to clashes of ideals, i do not wish for you all to go down the same path that have plagued many explorers.”
“I understand your concern Princess Luna, but i’m sure my friends and i will stick it through thick and thin no matter what. Even Discord can’t-” Twilight began before she was interrupted when a certain draconequus simply popped into existence right between the two princesses.
"My my, how time flies when you spread a little chaos in alternate universes. Did I hear that you are all leaving? Why so soon?" Discord said just as a robot appeared behind him in a flash. It started saying exterminate over and over again before Discord snapped his claws, causing it to disappear. "Don't mind him, that robot was chasing me the whole darn time while I was trolling a bipedal creature that called himself the Doctor. You know all the fictional universes that our writers make up? Turns out there are alternate dimensions where they’re real. Who knows, our world may simply be the product of anypony that liked something fictional when they were young and decided to make something cool with it. That or this world will have a war sometime in the future and I'm simply here as comedy relief. Oh there are so many alternate universes involving you, dearest Twily in a romantic relationship anypony and everypony, and of course I can’t forget Woona here leading another kingdom called, I forget exactly, The Lunar Democracy? The Lunar Oligarchy?" He rambled, not noticing the unamused expressions Luna and Twilight were throwing him.
"What are you here for Discord?" Twilight started "We don't have time for your annoying pranks or shenanigans anymore. I have a schedule to-" . She was cut off as Discord placed a claw on her mouth.
"Follow? Oh you haven't changed at all Twily. Always sticking to a timeline. I’ve got to say your desire for things to be organised is a little obsessive. Kind of like Celestia and her cakes." A miniature 6 tiered cake and Celestia appeared to Discord's left. The miniature Celestia then jumped into the cake face first while squealing "Cake!", sending cream and cake bits flying everywhere. Discord snapped his claws again and the whole mess vanished. "Anyway, I came back to wish Miss Fluttershy a safe journey. Would you happen to know where she is? I’ve been a little out of touch." He held a black and white poster with Fluttershy’s face on it, looking confused, and the words, ‘Have you seen this mare?’
"She’s in Las Pegasus overseeing the western launch sites. And it's Princess Fluttershy to you Discord!" Twilight replied snappishly, clearly irritated by the conversation. If Discord noticed, he didn’t let it show.
”So Fluttershy is a princess now? Well that’s rather interesting. I knew she had it in her even before you did.” He flicked Twilight’s muzzle, causing her to screw up her face. “Wait, let me guess. I’m getting a vision here. Oh, oh! I see, I see. Wings! six pairs. and six horns.“ He gasped, “Are all your friends are princess as well?”. When no reply came from the two alicorns in front of him, he simply said: ”Well fine then, I guess some pony’s caught the snob bug. I can tell when I’m not wanted. Ta-ta!.” He teleported away in a puddle of jello, leaving a golden cane with a bust of Twilight’s face on the top and a giant red gem embedded in the base. Twilight just rolled her eyes at the object on the floor.
With that debacle taken care of, she said farewell to Luna, and made her way to the launch site. The crew had already boarded each of the rockets meant to take them up to their individual starships, and were waiting on her signal. Unlike their initial launches, there would be no ground control, as they weren’t leaving anypony behind. Looking back, she saw Canterlot with the setting sun in the background. The last sunset that Princess Celestia would ever make. A wave of nostalgia hit her as the memories of her time as a filly in Canterlot surfaced. She stood on the ramp, rooted to the spot, reliving all the bittersweet memories for what felt like hours, but wa probably only a few minutes, when a voice snapped her back to reality. "Princess Twilight, are you ok?". Shaking off the last vestiges of her trance, she looked at her second in command and replied "Yeah, I’m fine Captain Trixie. Just reliving some old memories. Could you make sure we get one last good look at Canterlot on the way up?."
“Sure thing, Princess Twilight. Just make you’re there to see it. The launch is in 5 minutes.” Trixie replied before fading back into the depths of the machine. Twilight gazed back at the setting sun over Canterlot, taking one last look at the city she had called home for most of her life, before she turned, and stepped into the spaceship. The doors closed behind her, the clang of metal striking metal echoing out into the open air .
For five minutes, all was quiet. Then came the rumble, a slow, low, powerful sound that shook your legs, then your whole body and the last, best hope for the survival of an entire planet took flight, signaling the end of Ponykind’s time on Equestria. They had left the cradle of their homeworld, and with a final salute towards the planet, they watched it fall into the sun, which then burned out, becoming dim enough to look at directly without protection. Their home was gone, but they lived on, and so they prepared for the long sleep, and aimed themselves at a distant speck of light, the one they knew held the best chance for a civilisation beyond Equestria.