Ashes

by Trick Question


Ashes

Responding to her sister's knock, Princess Celestia opened the door to her bedchambers. She was wearing that soft smile Twilight Sparkle had come to know and resent. They entered the room, and shut the door behind them.

The smile faded ever-so-slightly. "I'm sorry," she said, without a true hint of emotion in her voice.

"She could have had another thirteen years with us," said Princess Luna, wiping her eyes with a knee. "There was no need to do this."

"She didn't want us to lose any more memories with her," said Twilight, and she sighed. "She wanted the rest of our time together to remain with a single Celestia."

"I care not. It was the wrong choice," Luna said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Celestia repeated. "I truly am." She walked over to her dresser and lifted a sheaf of paper, all of it covered in writing. It looked fresh.

"Is that what she wrote to you?" said Twilight.

Celestia nodded. "It is. The largest theme, by far, is that I need to learn to stop masking my emotions. I will try to follow in her hoofprints, because I owe it to you both," she said. "But it will take time. I don't really know where to start yet."

Luna embraced her sister, and once she had stepped back, Twilight embraced her. Celestia's hug was very light, in contrast to the firm hug Twilight had received from her earlier in the day.

"I need to remove the Tantabus from you again, I presume," said Luna.

Celestia shook her head slowly. "You needn't. It seems the Tantabus wasn't copied with the spell. Rather, it leaped from one incarnation to the next," she said. "Now it is gone for good, and I am thankful for that, Sister."

"We should give you time to rest," said Luna, and Twilight reluctantly nodded.

Princess Celestia smiled gently and bobbed her head in assent. "I am so lucky to be the one who remains. And I look forward to getting to know you again, Twilight Sparkle."


"Such a waste. So many lives thrown away," Princess Luna said to Twilight Sparkle, resting outside in the gardens where they'd been just the previous day.

"I can't believe she did it," said Twilight. "I understand why she did it, I just can't believe it."

Luna sighed and nodded. "Well, the final incarnation of my sister is correct on at least one account: she is quite lucky to be the one who remains. A one in sixty-four chance makes for meager odds."

Twilight frowned and turned her head to look toward the castle.

"Are you going to be all right, Twilight?" Luna asked. "It is only three years we have lost. Undoubtedly she is the same pony, even if some struggles must begin anew."

"It's not that," said Twilight. "Although, it does affect me a little. There's no telling how this Celestia will feel about me, for one. The previous one had deep feelings for me, apparently, and I still don't even know how I feel about that."

Luna nodded. "Few things in life are certain. But surely, we and Celestia now have a long and good future ahead of us. Together," she offered.

"I look forward to it," admitted Twilight, with a sigh. "But something else is nagging at me, something I probably shouldn't even mention."

Luna took in a deep breath, but said nothing.

"I've known three Celestias now, and you've known two of them, seeing as they all share the same history from before Nightmare Moon. There are dozens of other Celestias who had their own lives," said Twilight. "A lot can change in sixteen years. Some of those lives could have been amazing. Each of them was undoubtedly worth something."

"Yes. Of course I agree," said Luna.

"The last Celestia, number sixty-three, we only really knew her for who she was, for what, an hour or two? At all other times her guard was raised," said Twilight. "But that hour was incredible, wasn't it? It was a solid emotional breakthrough. I felt like she and I had something special—something deeply personal connecting us, whether or not I reciprocated her feelings for me."

"Go on," urged Luna, her face showing signs of worry.

"And when it came down to it, she was willing to lay down her life for the chance at making our relationship with her last longer," she continued. "To give us a chance to grow together."

"As I have said, I feel it was the wrong choice..." said Luna.

"As do I. But that's kind of my point," said Twilight. "The sixty-third Celestia had such conviction at the end. I can't shake the feeling that she had attained some kind of true self-actualization, something few ponies ever learn. She had a knowledge of who she was; an understanding of what was most important in life. And she was a true friend."

Luna nodded. "That she was."

"Yet the sixty-fourth Celestia was quick to say how lucky she is compared with the others," said Twilight.

"Twilight, what is it you are trying to say?" asked Luna.

Twilight paused and bit at her lower lip.

"I guess... I'm not entirely certain whether she is."