EQUESTRIA MOURNS LOSS
OF BELOVED RULERS
ROYAL PONY SISTERS DIE OF NATURAL CAUSES
And so the one thing everypony knew was coming but never really expected to happen, happened. The royal grave plots that had been reserved before most of Equestria's citizens were even alive were finally put to good use. No expense was spared in erecting towering stone monuments of the Two Sisters. Twilight noticed two adjacent plots which she was informed were for her and Cadance, when the time came.
Twilight had a eulogy prepared on simple note cards, but after looking it over and deciding it was too rote and clinical, crumpled them up and stuffed them into the pocket of her dress. After Cadance had finished saying some kind words about her adoptive aunts, Twilight cast a voice-amplification spell on herself, and stepped up to the podium to say her piece.
"Hullo everypony, I'm Twilight Sparkle the Princess of Friendship. I uh, had a eulogy prepared earlier, but since this is so personal I really feel it should just come from the heart." She crossed her forelegs on the podium and sighed. "I'm having a hard time qualifying these feelings inside me right now. Celestia and Luna, they meant the world to me, y'know? And I know being an alicorn has like consequences and that sort of thing. Longevity, y'know it's a blessing and a curse. Being an alicorn means saying goodbye more than one might otherwise." She paused to gather her thoughts. "They went peacefully in the night...I guess there's worse ways to leave this world. Their peaceful deaths don't soften the blow of them being gone, I'm afraid. It still hurts quite a bit. But at least they didn't suffer." She ran a hoof through her mane. "Sometimes I think about the simpler times of me just being a librarian who mailed a letter once a week. Everything was so easy back then, everything still made sense. I miss the simplicity of those days. That might make me sound selfish, but I'd be lying if I said otherwise." She made eye contact with a few ponies in the crowd and gauged their silent reactions to her candid speech. "Anyway, I'm rambling at this point. Celestia and Luna, I love you both more than words can say. I'll miss being close with you, and we'll never have rulers quite like you. Thank you."
After Celestia and Luna were laid to rest beneath their stone likenesses, the reception began in the castle’s ballroom. Only those closest to the royal pony sisters were granted access, as the sheer amount of ponies would not have fit.
Not only was all of Equestria saddened by the sudden loss of their rulers, they were also thrown into utter panic for fear that the sun and moon would stay affixed in the sky, as they had some two hundred years ago. Much to everpony’s surprise, the sun and moon still circled the earth as they always had. Everyone thought best not to question it, and returned to grieving.
Wanting to avoid the sea of crying ponies, Twilight made a hasty beeline for the passages that led to the higher parts of the castle. She climbed and climbed, until she reached the highest veranda in Canterlot Castle. Twilight gazed out at the clear night sky, the iridescent moon shining brightly overhead. She wasn’t certain, but she could’ve sworn she saw a constellation of stars start dancing. Right as this happened, a dark shadow loomed from behind her. It was Discord. Before she could react, she found herself held tightly in the clutches of the friendly draconequus.
“Oh, Twilight,” he said. “This must be a very difficult time for you.”
“Discord, thank you but-” she struggled to say. “But put me down, please!” He released her to the cold marble of the balcony.
“Sorry,” he said, sheepishly. “I’m doing my best to be comforting. It’s just…” He paused. “You’ve been their helping hand, their therapist, their viceroy, for more than two hundred years now. I’ve known them for two thousand years, and I was nothing more than an adversary to them.” He summoned a chair from hammerspace and sat down. Twilight hadn’t noticed until just then, but there were tears in his eyes.
“Aww, Dicsord,” she said. It was her turn to be comforting. “It’s going to be okay.” She offered him her hoof to hold onto.
“Thank you.” He took her hoof, and promptly blew his nose into it.
“No, that’s not what I- okay…” She said, both surprised and disgusted.
“Oh, I suppose it’s just the whole, ‘you don’t appreciate what you have until you don’t have it anymore’ kind of thing.” Now it was he who gazed longingly at the night sky. “I remember all those centuries ago. They were just two young fillies with the weight of the world on their shoulders.” He now summoned a rose, whose petals he plucked slowly. “I didn’t realize what I had, or what I could’ve had, until it was far too late.” He rose, the flower and chair disappearing simultaneously. “Doesn’t matter now, they’re in a better place.”
“Are they though?” Twilight said, once again looking to the constellation from earlier.
“Hm, what was that?” Discord asked.
“O-Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud, really.”
“Ah, I see.” He lunged forward, giving her a gentle hug. “You know, Twilight. We really must stop meeting like this. Why is it always the funerals?” With his talon he ripped open a portal leading back to Chaosville. “Good luck with ‘you know what’!” He stepped though the tear in space-time, and was gone.
With no more distractions, Twilight once again gazed at the night sky, pondering the nature of those dancing stars. After a couple hours of solace, she retired to her chambers in the castle.
The next day, Twilight boarded the midday train back to Ponyville, all the while thinking about the deceased princesses. Two hundred years ago, the princesses disappeared without a trace, leaving the sun and moon affixed in the sky at once. The very nature of their incapacitation was peculiar to begin with, as they were both put in a sort of stasis by the plundervines. Due to their unconsciousness, the night and day cleaved the sky in two. Now, with the royal pony sisters seemingly dead, logically, that effect would be mirrored. But such was not the case.
“What does it mean?” She said to herself. “I could’ve sworn I saw those stars moving last night.” As she pondered this unusual situation, the train pulled into the station. Twilight surmised that talking to Spike might help shed some light on this mystery. Once off the train, she flew straight home.
Twilight found Spike outside the castle, his ever-increasing size a constant hindrance to him going indoors.
“Spike!” She shouted. “I’ve got some news!”
“Oh, hello Twilight. Back already?” Spike too, felt he should play the comforting role. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“What? No, listen! Last night after the reception, I was out on a balcony, and I saw the strangest thing! The stars began to move…”
“Hmm, you’re taking this rather well.” Spike said dryly. Twilight ignored him and continued talking, her speech never faltering once.
“…and that’s why I think they haven’t passed on.”
“Well,” Spike was thoroughly dumbfounded. “That’s very strange indeed, Twilight. But if the Princesses haven’t passed on, then where do you think they are?”
“I don’t know, that’s the thing!” She said. “But I’ve got a feeling those dancing stars were a part of it. They may have been a sign, or a desperate warning, or even a cry for help.”
“This is certainly a head-scratcher, Twilight. Maybe you should sleep on it.”
“Maybe I should,” she said. “I just hope the princesses are okay.” She stopped speaking of the matter, but didn’t stop thinking about it, until the sun set and the moon rose inexplicably once again.
That night Twilight had a nightmare, the first one she’d had in ages. In it, the princesses were in a cage being sucked out into space. Twilight was restrained, and watched helplessly while the princesses were defenestrated. She awoke in a cold sweat.
“Luna…” she mumbled. Not wanting to sleep anymore, she rolled out of bed and made her way to the veranda. Twilight opened the doors and quietly crept outside. She gazed again at the stars.
“Just give me a sign,” she said. “Let me know you’re okay.” As she finished speaking, the stars began to move again, this time forming a shape not unlike the Tantabus they had fought over two hundred years ago.
“SWEET TAPDANCING CELESTIA, WHAT IS THAT THING?!” Twilight yelled, before quickly putting her hoof to her mouth, sheepishly. The sentient constellation made eye contact with her for a few moments before dissipating into the starry sky.
“Well that didn’t answer anything!” she shouted, somewhat frustrated. She went back inside to further ponder what exactly she had just laid eyes on. Twilight continued this for the rest of the night.
The next morning, a rather groggy Twilight shuffled over to her library door to rearrange her books, if only to calm her nerves. As she was about to clean, she heard a telltale belch coming from outside. Now wide awake, Twilight hurried outside to inspect. Once there, she found Spike holding a single scroll in his claw.
“I-I just received this,” he said, flabbergasted. “The only one ever to use this was Princess…Celestia.” He handed the scroll to Twilight. Shocked, she took it and began to read.
Dear Twilight, my most faithful student,
If you are reading this, I and my sister Luna, are dead. We have shed our corporeal vessels and moved on to a higher plane of existence. However, we are not at rest quite yet. When we took the weighty burden of raising the sun and moon, we vowed to continue our duty until such a time when there were others powerful enough to take our place. Until we are replaced, we shall patrol the eternal space and keep a watchful eye over the world. I have the utmost faith in you, dearest Twilight. Please, help us.
Forever yours,
Princess Celestia
Twilight reeled back as if struck with a truncheon. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. She had a look of pure shock on her face.
“Twilight!” Spike said. “What is it?” It took her a few moments to compose herself and even more to be able to speak.
“Oh nothing,” she replied. “I just have to help the princesses get into Heaven.”
Spike was understandably confused and very surprised at this broad statement. Twilight took a few moments to elaborate. Once she finished, he spoke up.
“Twilight, that sounds like an insurmountable task. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“I have to be, Spike. The princesses need me now more than ever.” She looked to the north. “Besides, I have a couple of candidates I feel would be perfect for the position.”
“I’m sorry, you want us to do what, now?” Solar Storm asked incredulously. Twilight, having learned of the horrible clause to the princesses’ reign, travelled to the Crystal Empire within a fortnight of the reception. She planned to train Skyla’s grandchildren, Solar Storm and Midnight Requiem to raise the sun and moon, respectively.
“I know this sounds like an impossible task,” Twilight began. “But I implore you to consider this. The Princesses’ salvation is at stake.”
“Where would we even begin?” Midnight Requiem asked. “How can we move celestial bodies, we are but two simple alicorns.”
“Celestia and Luna were two simple alicorns.” Twilight retorted. The alicorn siblings fell silent. “Please…I just need you to trust me. The alicorns looked at each other in silent conversation for a few moments, contemplating amongst themselves this weighty burden.
“I don’t know about this, Twilight,” Skyla interjected. “Are you sure Celestia told you herself?”
“Yes!” Twilight rebutted. “I received a posthumous letter from Celestia herself. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I’ve seen what they are now. They’re a giant star deity that only I can see. I wouldn’t have come to you two if I wasn’t serious about this.”
“Well as long as you’re sure of yourself,” Skyla said. “Then I believe you. Stormy, Middy, what do you think of it?”
“Just give us a moment to talk about it.” Solar Storm said.
“That’s perfectly fine.” Twilight said, nonchalantly. The two turned away from her and whispered quietly. They have night and day motifs, I thought they’d be more into this. After a couple minutes of deliberation, they answered.
“We’ll do it,” Midnight Requiem said. “If it’s for the princesses, we’re up to the task.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said. “This means a lot to me, and I know for certain it means the world to them.”
“Well, it’s fine by me.” Skyla said. “As long as my grandchildren are content, then I am too.” With that, it was settled. Solar Storm and Midnight Requiem would become the new rulers of Equestria, and train with Twilight to learn the magic of moving the sun and moon. Awhile later, they retired to bed, their training to begin the following morning.
Before Twilight went to sleep, she went to the balcony of her room, to once again stargaze. She looked at the same spot as before, and sure enough, they appeared. They stayed for only a moment, giving a single nod of approval before disappearing. Twilight gave a weary smile, and went back to bed.
Shortly after breakfast, Twilight brought the siblings outside to begin their lesson. She began with an informative, if lengthy, lecture about the undertaking.
“Now, I know you two have been studying the sun and moon, and spells having to do with them, somewhat?”
“Oh, why yes.” Solar Storm responded. “We’ve loved the night and day for as long as we can remember! We just never thought we’d be the ones controlling them.”
“Indeed,” Midnight Requiem added. “I suppose it’s got to do with our names and appearances. Almost as if it’s our destiny, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh, well…” Twilight said, suddenly flustered. “I don’t know, um, sure?” The alicorn siblings only stared with their judging eyes. “Right, let’s continue.”
Twilight, being all too familiar with raw power, did her best to convey to the two what exactly raising the sun and moon was like.
“Now, I only had the princesses’ magic inside me for one day, but what I gathered was that this task requires the utmost focus. I was unable to focus because this guy we knew betrayed us and a centaur destroyed my house, so raising the sun was incredibly hard for me. Long story short, I had a lot on my plate. Anyway, uh, it was only when I focused on one task, in this case it was defeating Lord Tirek, that I was able to channel the magic in a much more controllable fashion. It took all my strength and willpower, but I was able to do it.”
“Hmm, I see…” said Solar Storm. “So diligence is the key, then?”
“Precisely!” Twilight said. “Our first lesson is in tenacity. We’ll begin with a question; this training may take decades, even centuries, are you sure you’re up for it?”
“Yes,” Midnight Requiem answered. “I mean it’s not like we have a choice, now do we?”
“Good, lesson one complete. Now, lesson two…”
“I have a question,” Midnight Requiem asked. “What can you tell me about raising the moon?” That caught Twilight off guard. Fuck, did I even raise the moon that day?
“Uh, w-well I’m sure it’s similar to raising the sun. Although, the moon is much closer to Earth and it is smaller than the sun, so perhaps a bit easier.” Midnight Requiem nodded. “I’ll get into that more when I talk about entering dreams.” The young alicorn’s eyes lit up at the mention of entering dreams, as if intrigued. Good, that’ll buy me some time.
Twilight continued teaching the alicorns to harness, and more importantly, control their magic. She would travel to the Crystal Empire for weeks at a time, and her sessions would last for hours. The alicorns seemed enthralled at the prospect of ruling a nation, and in time, controlling the sun and moon. Decades passed, and as Twilight foretold, even centuries. This pattern of teaching continued for five hundred years, until one day Twilight deemed the two ready. She had successfully found replacements for the royal pony sisters, and her assimilation of Skyla was on the backburner for now. But her damage control was far from over.