//------------------------------// // Dawn 1 // Story: The Many Lives of Twilight Sparkle // by Drax //------------------------------// This was bullshit, and Celestia wasn’t afraid to call it as so. She was a princess of Equestria. A practically divine ruler, with full control of one of the major celestial bodies. Hence the name Celestia! Yet somehow, she was still here like everyone else. Sitting in a waiting room, to see her former student, just like all the other nobility who had come to scrounge and scrape asking for her favor. It was not only humiliating, but the size of the chair she was sitting in at the moment was just flat out degrading. “Note to self,” she thought, “Pass law that states that all government buildings must have at least one Princess sized chair.” She would have just enlarged it with a spell she knew, but wood and raw magic, never mixed well. “Twilight always used to have one at the ready, but I guess she got rid of it at some point.” It was slightly disheartened the monarch to think her seat might be gone. When she’d asked the head servant about the existence of such a seat somewhere in the castle, she was told, rather rudely, that if she wanted a seat that fit, she might as well go back to Canterlot and sit on her throne. And if there was such a chair here, it had more than likely been destroyed in one of her highness's fits. There was a very justified part of Celestia that wanted to fling the little brat out the window. Surprisingly, though, she contained herself. It wouldn’t do to start trouble here, she was in Twilight’s domain now. This was her castle and arguing with her staff, no matter how petulant, wouldn’t do her any favors when she finally got to see her…old friend. Celestia let out a sigh, “And if that means dealing with a chair arm digging into my backside for an hour, it’s worth it.” She grumbled. What wasn’t worth it though was hearing the constant clatter rising from the nobility around her. Row after row sitting in chairs pulled out for the occasion. Everyone holding a number and waiting to be called on in order to beg and plead their cases. And not a single one of them knew how to shut up. So for the past hour and a half, she’d had to deal with the bickering, the pointless drivel someone was trying to make popular so that they could say they started it. Both of which she could have just stayed in Canterlot for. But worst of all was the gossip, she was right here after all! Or was it hard to notice a princess that’s five feet taller then you. “Excuse me.” Celestia snapped out of her stupor. In front of her was the pink mare from earlier. Looking no less annoyed to be talking to her, but at least somewhat cognizant of who she was speaking to this time around. “Her highness has requested your presence.” “Oh,” said Celestia feigning astonishment. “And I thought I had to wait here like all the other royals.” Just because she wasn’t going to physically harm the mare, didn’t mean she couldn’t have a bit of fun t her expense. “Yes,” the mare grunted, almost as if it was painful for her to admit it. “But her highness has specifically asked for your presence, and it would be terribly impolite to refuse her.” Celestia shook her head clucking her tongue at the very idea. “Terribly,” she said. The mare didn’t answer. Instead she simply turned and walked off, silently indicating for Celestia to follow her. If it had been any other noble, they probably would have taken that as a sign of defeat from the pink mare, but Celestia had been around the block a few times and was wise enough to know when someone was royally pissed off at her. Despite the fact she really wouldn’t trust this mare to lead her into a pit of piranha s if given the chance, Celesita still got out of her seat and followed her. Passing by dozens of perturbed noble faces on the way, who—princess or not—weren’t very happy about the idea of someone cutting them in line. And as undignified as it may be, Celestia couldn’t suppress a chuckle when she saw Blueblood's face. Her guide on the other hand, had absolutely no intention of slowing and basking in the bitterness. She kept a steady pace, as they marched through the halls and stairways of the castle. It didn’t seem like her companion was in the mood for talking much, and that suited Celestia just fine. That just meant she had more time to examine her surroundings. It had been a while since she’d set foot in this place, and my how it had changed. She could remember when it had first risen. Tree of Harmony or not, the castle hadn’t had much in the way of furniture and decoration. It had been so bare, that she’d had to send some from Canterlot. Twilight had natural refused, not wanting to bother her, but Celestia had insisted. She always kept a warehouse or two in Canterlot filled to the brim with furniture just in case she ever felt like redecorating a wing or two of the castle. Sending it all to Twilight would be no trouble all. Twilight relented, but insisted she was only borrowing everything, and that as soon as she got her own furniture she’d return it. Celestia had laughed back then, it was just like her student to say something like that. “And yet I was still surprised when my guards reported that there was a barricade of sofa chairs and rugs in front of Canterlot castle. Now, though, the halls were decorated with trophies from her adventures. Even ones, she’d thought lost in Golden Oaks library hung proudly on the walls, revealed after some deeper digging and exploration found that not everything was lost. But beyond that there was so much more added to the collection, things that brought back good memories of letter’s she’d read. An old magician’s hat locked away in a case, an instrument clearly not from this world strung up with care, both good memories. And a barrage of photos, from her time in Ponyville over the years. No doubt dug out of old photo albums pushed into the back of closets. But there were other things too, more recent things, even her informants didn’t know about. Like the Giant Ursa Major claw hanging above them like a chandelier. Shining down on them not with the brilliant blaze of a candle, but with the eerie light of the night sky. “Probably got the idea from Luna.” Celestia let out a sigh, her sister always was a bit better at talking to her student on a friendlier level. “We’re here.” Celestia snapped out of her daze. They were in front of a wooden door. It wasn’t luxurious or ornately decorated like her bedroom door in Canterlot. It was just a plain wooden door, clearly not made for someone her size, but big enough that she could probably fit through. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle again, this was just like Twilight. “To have all that pomp and circumstance outside to impress the people she needs to, but the closer you got the more plain and practical everything becomes.” The Pink Mare knocked on the door. “My Queen? I’ve brought Princess Celestia as you’ve requested.” There was a brief pause in the air, before a voice barley above a whisper replied with a “Come in.” Before Celestia could ask any questions, the mare throw open the door, and beckoned for Celestia to enter. She did, and the site before her was expected, but no less unnerving. Lying on the bed in front of her wasn’t the youthful student she knew, but an old mare on her last legs. Twilight lay in her bed, modeled to look more along the lines of her old room in the library, with another Ursa claw casting its starry light down on them. Twilight didn’t say anything, just stared at her with those piercing eyes that were no less curious then the first days she’d been taken under her wing. For most the silence would have been unnerving, but the purple alicorn’s shaky breathing seemingly timed with the dripping of her IV was all the message Celestia needed. “That’s not morphine? Is it Twilight?” The response that came back was expectedly annoyed. “What are you doing here Celstia?” The question came out as more of sigh. The force of which seemed to wrack the smaller alicorn’s body. When she finally got over it though, she glared at her former mentor “Actually, you know what? I retract that question, because I know exactly why you’re here. And I’m going to tell you once and for all that it’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.” Despite the verbal berating she’d just gone through Celestia remained calm, stoic even. Not rising up to argue her opinion, but not flat out ignoring it either. And perhaps seeing that she wasn’t getting anywhere with this train of dialogue Twilight groaned—which sounded phenomenally more painful coming from her older body. “No,” she said rolling her eyes, “it’s not morphine.” Celestia took a few steps closer, so that she was hovering over the bed. “It’s that concoction you came up with isn’t?” To her surprise Twilight chuckled, “Yep, my very own special anti-immortality potion, sure to let even an alicorn die.” A wicked grin split across her wrinkled face, “Want to try it.” Once again Celestia didn’t say anything, but merely shook her head. Twilight’s face fell, but Celestia mentally grinned. If Twilight was looking for a fight, she would have to find it elsewhere. ”Now that I’ve answered your question, would you be obliged to answer mine?” Celestia smiled, “I’ve just come to spend time with an old friend in her final moments. “Bullshit.” Twilight wasn’t afraid to call it when she saw it. Celestia shook her head again. “It’s true Twilight. I know we’ve had more than a few arguments over these past few decades, but I was hoping that we could make amends, before you decide have to go.” “And to include me in your bullshit plan.” Twilight tacked on, unmoved by Celestia’s speech. Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “How do you even know about that?” “Oh, Ms. Sunny Saddle thinks she’s the only one who has spies.” Twilight mocked. “I came here to make peace.” She insisted. “And yet you come in with your bullshit plans, acting just as high and mighty as ever. Tell you what. If you can come up with a single part of your plan that isn’t completely moronic…no I’ll still say it’s stupid.” Celestia stomped her hoof in frustration. “I used to be your Teacher and your friend. Doesn’t that account for at least a little bit of respect from you?” “Well,” said Twilight, “You had my respect, then you lost it. And you know, the funniest thing is, I can’t seem to remember you doing anything to get it back.” That stung, it wasn’t wrong, but it still stung. “Well I’m trying to now. Doesn’t that count for something?” She pleaded. Twilight raised an eyebrow, “No, this is the equivalent of trying to give me an umbrella after I’ve already walked out the door into a monsoon. And to top it off, the umbrella has a big fat hole in it.” Celestia could feel her teeth grinding together. So it was just going to keep coming back was it? There was no hope for this, she’d known that when she came, and yet she was still trying. “Why are you even doing this too yourself? You could rip that cord out of your hoof and you’d be fine. It might take a little work, after all this time poisoning yourself, but I’m sure we could get your body back into a functioning state. All you need to do is ask.” Pity, that had to be the one emotion she wasn’t expecting on Twilight’s face after she made that outburst. Yet there it was, mocking her the same way the younger alicorn had for the past couple minutes and even more than that the past couple decades. “You’re really going through with this, aren’t you?” “I could ask the same thing of you?” she hissed. Another eye roll from Twilight, “Then let me just say you’re going to live to regret it. And should you ever, well,” she eyed her IV, “You know exactly how to end it.” “Twi-“ “Now get out of here and lower the sun. It’s getting late and it’s about time for me to sleep. Tell Sterling Silver that all the fools down there can go home, there’s no point anymore.” And with that Twilight closed her eyes, and her breathing stopped.