“Twilight, why?” gasped a bruised and bloody Princess Celestia. Princesses Luna and Cadence were in similar condition, but unconscious. Rubble and furrows in the earth, as well as the crumbled and collapsed ruins of the former beauty of Canterlot surrounded them, as crows and vultures cried raucously overhead. Dust blew through the streets, carrying the stench of sewage with it.
“Because, I came to realize that a government with multiple heads of government will eventually fall into chaos and anarchy. I don’t want that for my beloved homeland. I am grateful to you for ruling well and wisely, but I won’t sit and wait for corruption to pervert this land’s government. You wanted for me to rule alongside you, but you withheld information from me. You didn’t consult me when you were putting into place the pieces for my Ascention into an Alicorn. You didn’t consult me when deciding to use Discord to stop Tirek. You didn’t even believe me, when I tried to point out the inconsistencies between the Cadence that I remembered and Cadence as Chrysalis changed herself into! There’s an idiom; that too many cooks spoil the broth. It would seem that it can be applied to government as well.”
Chrysalis appeared from around a pile of rubble; pebbles and stones clacking as the loose debris tumbled to the base of the pile. An arrogant smile and gloating looks as she looked haughtily down upon the defeated solar princess.
“My, my Celestia. Finally learning to prostrate yourself before your betters? It certainly took you long enough. Was asking food for my subject and asking that the proper courtly etiquettes due me so much to ask? You have no one else but yourself to blame.”
”You! You poisoned her mind against us, didn’t you?” Celestia screamed furiously, trying to get her hooves back under her.
“Poisoned? Good heavens, no! I simply opened her eyes to how you really saw her. A pretty pony puppet princess to help administer your government. She wasn’t an equal, but your pawn. Just a pretty figurehead to smile and wave to the important dignitaries. She decided to tolerate it no longer, and institute a more beneficial dictatorship style of government.”
Twilight used her magic to topple Celestia back to the ground. “And thanks to you three, I hereby pass judgment. Celestia, you are hereby stripped of your title as Princess of Equestria, as well as your magic, for using your powers in your own interests, instead of the common interest of Equestria’s citizens.”
Twilight’s horn lit up, as she cast a forbidden magical assimilation spell, absorbing Celestia’s alicorn magic within her. Celestia watched in shock, as her cutie mark vanished, much like during the Tirek affair.
Twilight moved towards the unconscious Cadence, her eyes trickling tears of sorrow. “I’m so sorry that it has to be this way, Cadence. As long as you are more loyal to Celestia than me, then it falls upon me to prevent you from retaliating against me. I can only hope that you see reason and change loyalties. Only then could I consider returning your alicorn magic to you.” She felt Chrysalis gently wipe away her tears, nuzzing Twilight in a gesture of comfort and reassurance. Twilight gave a brief small smile, before casting the assimilation magic once again, feeling her magical reservoir swell even more. It felt like eating an elephant’s weight in magic. Her magic felt over full and her reservoir felt like it was being strained, like the stomach of a pregnant mare to contain the growing foal within her.
Twilight and Chysalis moved to Luna. “I’m so sorry, Luna. I don’t want to do this, but I know that you’ll always stand by your sister. I don’t know if I can ever do your nighttime celestial artwork justice, but I’ll try and do my best, to honor your efforts and contributions to the beauty of our nighttime world.” Twilight lit her horn once again, casting the forbidden spell for what she hoped would be a final time, watching as Luna’s cutie mark vanished, like the other time it had, when they had given her their magic.
Chrysalis summoned her warrior drones, along with a sapient, issuing an order for the three to be incarcerated in a secure dungeon until the military had regained or surpassed its former might and numbers.
“Now to pick up the pieces.” Twilight murmured, looking in the direction of her home, Ponyville.”
*Six months later*
“By the consent of my fellow Equestrian ponies and by my magic, I hereby crown myself Queen Twilight of Equestria!” She levitated a fine filigreed tiara upon her head. The titanium crown’s shaped in a series of six narrow diamonds, the tip of each inset with a different gem reminiscent of those of the Elements of Harmony. Her fellow Queen and marefriend Chrysalis looked on with pleasure and approval.
Cries of ‘Long live the Queen’ resounded from all sides of Twilight’s new Crystal Palace of Friendship. She smiled and waved, as her former Element Bearers stood behind her, looking on silently. Each had been promoted in some manner or other. Rainbow Dash had been promoted to Imperial Weather Overseer of Equestria and newly inaugurated Captain of the Friendship Brigade, to replace the Wonderbolts for the premier aerial acrobatics team. Pinkie Pie had been promoted to Imperial Event Coordinator and Pâtisserie. Rarity had been promoted to Imperial Fashion Designer and Seamstress. Fluttershy had been appointed Imperial Menagerie Caretaker. Applejack had been appointed Imperial Head Chef.
“Come, Queen Twilight. Let us take our place in the Royal Pavilion so we can see the display that the Friendship Brigade has in store for us.” Queen Chrysalis smiled, pressing her barrel against Twilight’s. “What’s wrong, dearheart?” She asked, noticing Twilight’s sombre mood.
“I know that it had to be done, but everything inside me aches for Cadence, Celestia and Luna. Like I sent my own friends to rot in prison, after I robbed them even of their magic.”
“Oh, love.” Chrysalis cooed, throwing a hoof around Twilight’s barrel, and pulling her in for a hug. “It just goes to show that you have a good heart, and why I know you’ll make a wonderful Queen.”
“But, Celestia has a good heart, and yet look what I did to her!”
“That’s why you rely on your friends to advise you. Because true friends won’t be afraid to tell you when they think you’re doing something wrong. And you have me, and my experiences as a queen of my own people to draw from.”
“I know, but it doesn’t ease the pain in my heart.”
“I know. I’ll be here to support and love you through it all.”
“Thanks Chrysalis.”
“Now come on, I really want to see what Rainbow Dash and her group has in store for their aerial show!”
Twilight giggled, correcting her crown on her head, as it had taken a skewed angle, from the insistent tugging of her excited marefriend.