“Celestia.” Sunset groaned. “Twilight I thought we agreed not to contact her unless the tests here couldn’t find anything.” She shot her friend an accusing glance.
“Oh my little Sun.” The Princess said with her usual cheery facade. “Twilight didn’t tell me you returned, that would be Discord.” The draconequus popped up and waved his hand at the two of them. “And further, I assure you after that little display...I would have been coming anyways.”
“Discord, I could just fireball you right now.” Sunset gave Discord a glare that forced him to back off and hide behind Celestia. “But instead you are getting a warning , when a friend doesn’t want to deal with a complex situation immediately you should consider why, and I’m sure you know at least part of the reasons why. If you want to continue being reformation buddies you won’t pull a stunt like that again, understood?”
“Understood.” The normally confident draconequus said meekly from behind Celestia, he had joked earlier about it but now it didn’t feel like much of a joke to him. She really did have harmony inside.
Celestia turned to her long lost pupil. “There are many things I have wished to say to you these past twenty years, and after all this time I have is one thing to say.” Celestia exhaled slowly. Sunset steeled herself waiting for the princess responce, wondering what she could say.
Celestia then smiled warmly and sincerely, wrapping her wings around her lost pupil. “I’m sorry, You have no Idea how much I’ve missed you, Welcome Home.”
Suffice to say this was about the last thing Sunset was prepared for, An Argument, A Lecture, A demand for her to Apologize, Simply pushing it under the rug maybe and a return to normal. Not an Apology from Celestia. Sunset pushed her head into Celestia’s neck as hard as she could, and said the only thing she could. “I missed you too.”
Nurse Redheart let out a loud Ahem “I get that this is a touching moment, but I have other patients. I presume Princess you would also like to see Ms. Shimmer’s results?”
Celestia recomposed herself quickly, she wasn’t worried about her image but she did not want to take up the Nurse’s valuable time. “Yes please.” The princess nodded.
“As far as general health goes, she’s as healthy as an earth pony. It’s a bit creepy.” Nurse redheart began. “As for her meridians, They seem about right for her a unicorn of her….considerable talents, however i can’t get a full reading since my requests for appropriate testing continue to be denied.” She grumbled out that part before continuing. “As for that…..last part, Nothing.”
Twilight Sparkle looked up and blinked. “Did it overload the equipment?” She asked quizzically.
Nurse Redheart shook her head. “No, I mean, literally nothing there wasn’t a single reading. And I do mean nothing, as in her entire system flat lined.”
“How is that even POSSIBLE?” Twilight exclaimed incredulously.
“I’m honestly as flabbergasted as you, without mana her body shouldn’t have been able to sustain itself but it’s a complete flat line.” Nurse Redheart gave a shrug. “I don’t know what happened.”
“Maybe the Equi…” Twilight began to speak before being interrupted by Princess Celestia.
“Thank you for your time Nurse Redheart, We shall be taking our leave.” Princess Celestia led the four outside towards an awaiting chariot. “Discord...I think it may be best if you took your leave.”
The Draconequus nodded and vanished as the two Alicorns and Sunset Shimmer boarded the chariot.
They flew through the air at a leisurely pace. Sunset seemed to be in her own little world, a content smile placed on her lips. Celestia looked over her protectively, seemingly drinking in the small unicorn’s presence. Twilight seemed so far away despite being right there alongside her mentor and her best friend, so it only made since she was the first to break the silence.
“Celestia, what do you think it means that Sunset’s meridians flat lined?” Twilight inquired.
“It means Twilight, that it is something we don’t understand, perhaps something that is beyond our understanding.” Celestia replied. “I have tried to understand the Elements of Harmony for millennial Twilight, but I have had little success.” Celestia sighed and looked down at the small unicorn at her side affectionately, and to the purple alicorn speaking to her. “Perhaps, I have had more success than I thought.” she mused softly to herself before looking back up. “You have experience with the Elements and their power Twilight, you have just as much right to guess what it might mean as I do.”
“Honestly, I’ve never studied them. Between studying friendship, and my other studies, and now my duties….. I honestly would have assumed you would have put effort into Studying Equestria’s greatest weapons.” Twilight responded thoughtfully, ruminating that perhaps she should have spent more time studying.
Before Celestia could respond a voice stated bluntly. “They aren’t.”
It took Twilight a moment to compose her thoughts after the interruption. “They aren’t what Sunset?”
“Weapons, they aren’t weapons. How can you even think of them as weapons, you’ve used them, surely you’ve felt them. Maybe it’s different when you channel that power through the elements, but I can’t imagine it’s that different than using it directly. Their magic isn’t a Weapon it’s an Experience.” Each word was spoken with a reverent and dreamlike quality.
Twilight just stared at Sunset for what seemed liked an eternity. “But you’ve used their...power as a weapon…..”
Sunset shook her head. “It’s true back there was the first time I’ve used that power without there being some pressing need, but they were never a weapon to me. It was something that called to me.” She spoke in hushed tones. “I didn’t even think it was possible for it to just come to me like that when I wasn’t needed.”
“We have arrived princess.” One of the guards spoke up as the carriage landed.
“How About some tea?” Celestia suggested.
The two alicorns and the unicorn sat down to tea, Sunset had just finished recollecting her time away from equestria. Twilight was very very out of place.
“Well it sounds like you’ve had quite an adventure my little sun.” Celestia took a sip of tea. “You started beautifully there becoming a real princess, but then went exactly where I feared you might, then rising up from that to become a true princess again. More chamomile?”
Sunset nodded as the white alicorn poured her favorite tea it had been a very long time considering the expense, she downed another cup allowing the taste to linger on her tongue. “I don’t exactly dwell on my past.”
Celestia laughed, full of mirth and good cheer. “I’m glad after everything you haven’t picked up my habit of doing exactly the opposite my little sun”
“We should all be grateful for such small favors, So how have you been?” Sunset asked sincerely.
“Better recently, Since raising Twilight to the rank of princess and Luna’s return I’ve had much more personal time.” Celestia stated plainly.
Sunset chuckled at that. “If you ever actually wanted personal time, nothing ever stopped you.” Sunset gave a nostalgic smile. “Remember the first time I tried to raise the sun?”
“How could i forget, you thought I should ‘sleep in a little’ and ended up sick for a week, guess you got your wish. Kinda took the jumping and hopping off the cutie mark story doesn’t it.” Celestia smiled, not one of her disarming smiles, but a genuine one.
“Meh, prouder for getting you off work for a week. So Luna is…..” A slamming sound echoed through the garden.
A purple hoof had slammed on the table shattering it, a frustrated and embarrassed purple acorn face attached to it. “Excuse me, I need to get some air.” Twilight said as she stepped up and trotted away.
Twilight walked through the hedge maze, trying to lose herself, to lose the questions that plagued her mind, but the more she ran the more questions tore at her. ‘little sun’, They spoke so casually, so intimately, but there was….
In front of Twilight was one of two ponies she wished to avoid. The Yellow coat, the Red & Yellow hair, the elongated horn, the sun staring her in the face.
“Twilight what’s wrong.”
“I...Didn’t belong there Sunset.” Twilight looked away slightly as she hoofed the ground.
“Of course you did Twilight, You're my best friend. Someone has to keep Celestia from gushing over me and who better?”
“SUNSET, That’s just it, she would be gushing over you. I just heard your cutie mark story from her.” Twilight yelled before lowering her voice. “And not in the same way she knows mine. Sunset, tell me the truth…..”
“You want an answer, the answer is Yes.” Sunset replied curtly cutting twilight off.
Twilight stared, she blinked, she tried to say something but couldn’t her mouth slack.
Sunset pulled on her friend’s hoof. “Let’s go back Twilight, Celestia will get worried.”
“Sunset, You say I’m your best friend. But I don’t….How much do I really even know about you?” Confusion smeared the purple alicorns face as she resisted. “I mean I just found that you left……”
“Everything I had? I literally couldn’t have not seeing as how I left this world entirely.” Sunset’s answer was short, blunt, frustration wrought upon her face.
“How could leave that behind….”
“You are thinking about this the wrong way, this is the only way I could have left.” Sunset sighed exasperated. “If I had something else, anything else, I might have had reason to stay. But without Celestia I had nothing, WAS nothing.” Sunset was shouting now as emotions overwhelmed her.
“Sunset….”
“IT WAS AWFUL! Every day I knew my life would be in her shadow. No matter what I did it wouldn’t be good enough, because I’d always be competing with her.” -SLAP, the sound rang out through the garden and silence reigned.
“Sunset.” Twilight stated calmly and reassuringly. “This isn’t like you, you’re confident, you know who you are, and you don’t let your past define you.”
“But….”
“No Buts, that’s exactly what you are doing. Is this why you came back to remind yourself that you can’t live up to Celestia?” Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hooves in her own.
“No, but…..That doesn’t mean being reminded doesn’t hurt.” Sunset let out a relieved sigh. “I’ll never be a real princess and I’ve come to terms with tha…..”
“Horse Apples.” Twilight interrupted. “No, you might never gain a pair of wings. But I’ve heard you talk Sunset, I know this much. You’ve found something far more important to you than any tiara and a pair of wings.” Twilight held Sunset’s hoof up to her face her cutie mark emblazoned upon it for all to see. “Why are you worried about that?”
“I….” Sunset sat speechless for a moment, a torrent emotions on her face “You’re a good friend Twilight.”
Twilight awkwardly stepped back “We should….be getting back. Celestia will probably be getting worried about you, and we need to find out what is going on with you.”
“Yeah let’s go see her momjesty.” Twilight chuckled at that nickname as the two ponies trotted out of the hedge maze.
The two friends returned to the little tea party where Celestia waited patiently “Doing better I see Two.” she stated as she took a bite of cake.
“Doing Smugly I see.” Sunset smiled mischievously at Celestia.
“Why should I not be smug, I have such lovely cake and tea my little sun.” Celestia smiled back at the irreverent comment. “Now where were we?”
“You two were talking about Luna being back.” Twilight stated with some confidence.
“Ah yes,” Celestia nodded. “and glad you could join the conversation Twilight.”
“I still feel a little strange, it’s the first time you’ve been with your daughter in over a decade.” Twilight spoke openly, clearly relieved to say it. “I still don’t think I belong here.”
Celestia sighed and put down her Tea. “Is it that obvious?”
“About as obvious as a ton of bricks.”
“I was asking Twilight.”
“Um, yes very, very, obvious Princess.” Twilight said gaining confidence. “You gush over Sunset and tell extremely intimate stories like everyone should know them.”
Celestia’s smiled changed in a way too subtle for most to notice, but for once Celestia the pony spoke to Twilight and not Celestia Princess of Equestria. “I want you here Twilight, and I think Sunset wants you here as well.”
“Alright I’ll accept that.” Twilight nodded. “But I’ll ask you one question then, am I just a……”
“And that question makes two assumptions that do not apply to me Twilight.” Celestia spoke her tone casual rather than practiced. “The first is that my extended life does not demand some concessions from me, such as if I find something a positive experience I must seek out other ponies to give it. The second is that one must be unique to be special.” Celestia took a bite of cake. “Though yes you are a replacement for Sunset in one sense Twilight, and that is in the sense that I needed somepony to face Luna for me something I could not do on my own.”
“About Luna, Sunset knew about her, right?” Twilight inquired.
“Yes, and the elements.” Sunset replied. “I was fully aware of what was expected of me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me if you intended me to wield them?” Twilight pushed further.
“Because again, each of you are special in your own way.” Celestia took another bite of cake, savoring the flavor for a moment before continuing. “You Twilight are curious and deferential, and I did not have time to properly train you as I expected to have time for Sunset. Sunset here is impetuous and irreverent, keeping secrets from her was never productive.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing, Mom.” Sunset growled.
“But they are some of your best qualities! Could you have imagined if I raised Twilight? Blech.” Celestia giggled.
“Why wouldn’t you want to raise me?” Twilight bristled.
“Because I want a family who can treat me as a pony Twilight.” Celestia replied bluntly. “Sunset has always had an incredible gift for treating me as a pony.”
“....And I’ve always had an incredible lack.” Twilight sighed.
“Yeah that’s…...apparent in the letters Twilight.” Sunset patted twilight on the back.
Twilight sat down and sipped tea. “So Luna?”
“Ah yes! Well I’m sure she will be glad to know her niece is back, Luna has always been better at this personal stuff.” Celestia sighed at that truth. “With her back and looking to take a new student I don’t expect to be taking anymore any time soon, so I will still have plenty of time for you two.” Celestia smiled.
“Us two?” Twilight blinked.
“You two.” Celestia nodded. “So back to Luna, she’s been doing excellently since she got back.” Twilight looked ready to say something and then stopped herself. “I really hope you and her will get along Sunset, you have a lot in common.”
“A burning seething jealousy of you?” Sunset smiled.
Celestia snorted slightly and continued. “I was more thinking your passionate expressive natures, and hooves on attitudes to problems.”
“So Mom, we’ve been putting this off while we reminisced and caught up, and I’ve enjoyed it and all. But….what do you think has happened to me?” Sunset looked at Celestia.
Twilight whispered softly to her friend. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Sunset whispered back.
“I think you have found a way to tap into whatever source the elements draw their magic from, beyond that I have no idea.” Celestia stated.
“So you really have never seen something like this.” Sunset inquired.
“No I have never seen something like this.” Celestia stated slipping into one of practiced diplomatic tones, Sunset raised an eye looking at her.
“So do you intend to do anything at all about it Celestia?” Twilight asked with an uncharacteristic boldness in her voice towards her mentor.
“I intend to let my two top scientists have all the resources they need to figure it out.” Celestia grinned broadly as a guard came by and tapped Celestia on the shoulder. “It seems I have stayed too long, and while this has been a most pleasant surprise it has been just that, a surprise. I have duties I must get back to. Sunset, your room is exactly how you left it.” Celestia got up and left the two young mares behind.
“Of course it is.” Sunset groaned.
“She means us doesn’t she?” Twilight wiped her face of tea and cake.
“Of course she does.”
Sunset and Twilight walked towards the pair of double doors emblazoned with Sunset’s cutie mark, and sunset reached her hoof to the knob before accidentally face planting the doors. “Ugh, spend three years missing telekinesis and I immediately miss hands.” The doors opened in a purple aura. “Thank you Twilight.”
Twilight glanced over the room, rather than a bedroom she found an elaborate parlor, colored deep reds and golds, books lined the full shelves, and lavish furnishings.
“You know It seems like such a distant memory, but I was warned never to go in here as a child, I really should have put two and two together when I met you.” Twilight chuckled, and Sunset joined her. “But I didn’t exactly come to the royal apartments much….”
“Yeah you better not have gone in here, I’d have had one more reason to throttle you when we met.” Sunset keep laughing.
“You wouldn’t even know.” Twilight snorted with her.
“My fabulous magical powers would have told me.” Sunset waved her hooves at twilight.
“The Ones you didn’t have at the time?”
“Yes, exactly.” Sunset nodded as she stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Also fabulous?” Twilight cocked an eye.
“Look, pretty sure when you can shoot rainbows out of your butt your powers count as fabulous.” Sunset dropped onto the couch.
“A, I think Rarity is rubbing off on you. B, I will need to tell Rainbow Dash that.” Twilight chuckled until she snorted.
Sunset rolled on her couch and looked up at her friend. “Hey Twilight, you wanna stay the night, break in the old room.”
“A slumber party? I’d love to.” Twilight grabbed a book off one of the walls and curled up on the couch next to Sunset.
In one of the poorest neighborhoods in Canterlot, Princess Celestia strode by with purpose normally such an outing would be for charity, but today was different. She walked to the orphanage.
A pink furred pegasus with a purple mane, was watching over the children with her closed eyes. She was surrounded by several of the smaller children and seemed to be sharing a story at the moment.
“Once upon a time.” The pink mare began. “There was a great kingdom, ruled over by a great king, who was beloved by all for his power and wisdom. At the ruler’s right hand sat his most beloved servant, and his light burned nearly as brightly, his pride as well.” she took a breath before continuing. “In time the Servant’s pride overcame his love and he challenged the ruler declaring he should be made equal, but it could not be so, and so the servant was banished and given a kingdom of it’s own. But the kingdom was not as great, and the prize was hollow for this, for the specter of the king always fell upon our prince.”
One of the children looked up. “Miss Blossom, that story is depressing.”
Celestia stepped forward. “Indeed Miss Blossom. You always seemed more the type to tell uplifting stories.”
“Well.” Miss Blossom smiled lightly. “That is how most versions go, but in one version the Prince learns to let go of his pride and see’s a path to a light greater than the Kingdom he yearned for.”
Celestia hesitated for a moment before asking. “And how does that one end miss Blossom?”
“Ah well, What fun is it to be told the ending of a tale still being written?” The Pink mare giggled before speaking up again “Playtime is over children, it is time for snacks.” Her voice was soft and clear, carrying over the sounds of playing children, and shouting children, from across the entire playground it could be heard. Miss Blossom began to slowly heard the children inside.
Celestia waited patiently before the pink furred, purple maned mare returned a few minutes later. “Why here Graceful Blossom?”
“Where else should I wait for lost children?” She chuckled. “Ok, actually. Because I like caring for children, and where better than an orphanage.” The Mare smiled sweetly at Celestia before asking. “So, the Prince returned has I take it?”
“Yes, my little sun has returned…..” Celestia looked at the pegasus unblinking. “Just as you said she would.”