//------------------------------// // Ponies II // Story: Integration // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Are you sure about this, Twilight? Come on, Sunset, I’ve told you Princess Celestia really wants to see you again. She’s right next to me right now, waiting. We’re just on the other side. I... I’m scared. I know that sounds silly, but I haven’t seen her in so long. It’s not silly at all. But think of it like ripping off a bandage: you do it quick and get it over with. Come on, I’ll be there with you. Okay. I’m coming. Sunset tumbled out of the mirror, taking a moment to get used to her old body again. She was almost afraid to look up, to see the mentor she had scorned in her own childish tantrum. Gulping, she looked, her eyes seeing first her hooves, then traveling up her legs, her barrel, her torc, then her face. Her mentor’s face. Staring at her with wide eyes. “P-Princess,” she stuttered. Celestia just stared. “Um... I-I’m sorry!” she started crying. “I was an idiot! You were wonderful to me and I threw everything away because I had to throw a temper tantrum. I was horrible!” Celestia just stared. “I know we can’t pretend nothing happened, but... I really missed you!” Celestia just stared. Sunset realized that Celestia hadn’t said a thing. She just kept looking at her with wide eyes and a shocked look. “Wh-what’s wrong?” Celestia just stared. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” Celestia just stared. Sunset unfurled her wings in anger. “So after all this time you’re just going to sit there, you...” ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Wait, what? Slowly Sunset flapped her wing. Sunset flapped her wings. Her wings. She dared to look. Jutting out of both sides were a pair of feathery Pegasus wings. Wings with feathers that matched her coat. She placed a hoof to her forehead. She still had a horn. A horn and wings. “...Well... this is unexpected,” she said at last. Before she could do anything else, Celestia’s magic engulfed her and she was pulled toward her mentor. Her face was buried into her barrel as the Princess of the Sun squeezed her tighter than she ever had before. Not to the point of choking her, but still so tight that Sunset couldn’t escape. Not that she wanted to. “Oh Sunset!” Celestia cried. Even without seeing her face, Sunset knew she was crying. “Sunset... my little Sunshine... you’re back! You’re back! And you ascended, all on your own! Oh, Sunset!” And Sunset’s tears started anew. Twilight watched the scene with a stunned expression. She had a million questions about this. Sunset ascending? How? Did it have something to do with her becoming... Daydream Shimmer, was it? But, she couldn’t interrupt. Not now. This was their reunion. She wasn’t needed. Celestia was showering Sunset’s cheeks with kisses, and she knew she needed to excuse herself. Trying desperately to ignore the twinge of jealousy that was rising in her heart, she turned around and walked out of the room. As she walked through the halls, she thought of the two. Sunset had said Celestia raised her herself, she knew. And she had come to love the Princess as a mother. She had asked the Princess soon afterward, and she, in tears, admitted she hadn’t allowed Sunset to act on those feelings. She couldn’t allow anypony that close to her, she felt. She needed to be a Princess first and a friend second already, she wasn’t fit to be a mother. She had changed her mind as soon as she realized Sunset had left. She had wailed and cried, begging Harmony to return her home. It had been a repeat of Luna, she had claimed. Twilight opened the door to her library. Starlight sat amongst some pillows, her muzzle buried in a book. Don’t be a repeat of my foolishness, Twilight. “Starlight?” The filly looked up, brightening. “Hi, Princess!” Twilight laid down next to her. “What are you reading there?” “It’s a book on the theories of advanced levitation. Maybe if I get good enough, I’ll be able to lift myself. Then I’d be able to fly, just like you!” “That sounds great. But how long have you been at it?” “Only...” Starlight looked at the clock. “...Oh. I guess it has been a while.” As if on cue, a rumble came out of Starlight’s stomach. Twilight looked at the filly as she blushed. “You skipped lunch, didn’t you?” “I-I’m sorry Princess. I was just so caught up in everything and...” Twilight draped a wing over the little filly to silence her. “It’s okay.” She smiled. “It happened to me plenty of times back when I studied under Celestia.” “Really?” She nodded. “I can understand your hunger for knowledge, but don’t let it consume you. It’s not healthy.” Twilight rose to her hooves, and levitated Starlight onto her back. “Why don’t we get a little bite while we wait for Celestia and Sunset? Not too much, though, dinner is soon.” “Okay,” Starlight said happily, sitting on her back. “And how about tomorrow we head over to Sweet Apple Acres? The Apple Family is planning a little get-together for ponies around town, and they invited us to attend.” “What about my studying?” “Starlight, if there was one thing I missed in my studies, it’s that being with friends is just as important as being with books. Probably even more so. I want you to spend some time with Apple Bloom and her friends tomorrow. And... I’m going to head to Canterlot in a week to visit my parents. I want you to come and meet them.” Sunset had cried hard when Celestia had hugged her, but it was nothing compared to when the Princess of the Sun had carried her into the bedroom she was staying in and laid her down, wrapping wings and forelegs around her in a tight but loving embrace. She wailed like a newborn, barely managing to get out apologies in between her sobs. And it only got worse every time the Princess assured her it was okay and that she loved her. After nearly thirty minutes the crying subsided, and the two just laid there. Sunset, her mind now cleared, realized that she felt better than she had felt since the infamous Fall Formal, maybe even long before then. She realized that, despite all she had done and what she had accomplished, she had still been carrying a weight in her heart, that one last piece of guilt. Now, cradled in the embrace of the pony who had loved her like a mother, that weight had dissolved. “I forgot how nice this feels,” she said, nuzzling closer to Celestia. “I didn’t. I never did. I always hoped you’d come back, Sunset. I missed you.” “I... I missed you. Even before the Formal, I always thought about going back. Every single one of my scouting trips, I wanted to stay.” That actually got Celestia to pull away a bit, just to look her student in the eye. “Scouting trips?” “Didn’t you think it was odd that I seemed to know exactly where the Element of Magic was when I came though? Every time the portal opened I snuck through to gather information. I always timed it so I’d know when you’d be in Day Court.” “...I used to wait by that mirror, sometimes through the night, waiting for you to come back. Turns out you were sneaking in the whole time.” Sunset looked down in guilt. Celestia reaffirmed her hug. “I really wanted this. When everyone in school hated me, I just wanted to crawl back here. I wanted you so bad... I thought Twilight had been letting me off easy when she just banished me for a few years, but when it happened...” Celestia kissed her softly. “I think she made the right choice. It was hard, but it made you stronger. I knew, when she told me, that you’d make it through. I knew you had it in you.” Sunset just buried herself deeper. “You will start your lessons again, won’t you? There’s still so much about magic I wanted to teach you, even if you are a Princess now.” Sunset looked up at Celestia in shock. “What?” “If Harmony has decided that you’re worthy of being an Alicorn, you’re worthy of being a Princess. That’s how we’ve always done it. Oh, I’m sure Rarity can design something appropriate for your coronation.” “I... Princess, I can’t. Not until I fix things on Terra...” “Your first official assignment will be to do just that. You’ll live forever and I’m a patient mare.” “I... I...” Celestia kissed her on the side of the head. “Don’t you dare say you’re not worthy, my little Sunshine. You’ve made mistakes, but you’ve found your way.” “I’m not even sure how I ascended. Maybe...” Celestia tightened her hug. “We can figure out why later. Right now, I just want you here, with me.” “...Thank you, Princess.” “And no more calling me that... at least not when we’re on official royal business. You call me Mom. It’s... it’s what we’ve both wanted.” And Sunset cried again. At least she tried to. Her tears were gone, and it all came out in dry gasps. “I love you, Sunset. I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough to give you the guidance you needed.” The younger Alicorn cried a while longer. Then, slowly, she lifted her head and kissed Celestia on the cheek. “I... I love you, Mom.” Celestia kissed her. “I love you too, my little pony.” Dinner was a happy affair. Three Alicorns certainly shocked Twilight’s kitchen staff, but they all were under magical oath not to share unannounced developments. Starlight at with them, but Spike, who had eaten at Rarity’s after a day of helping her with a big order, wasn’t present. Talks came of matters trivial to Equestria, but precious to the three of them. Slumber parties and school dances for Sunset, time with friends for Twilight, and simple memories with Luna for Celestia. There was no discussion of what was coming. Plenty of time for that later. It was when the initial meal was finished, and the dessert was brought out, that Starlight spoke. “Miss Sunset?” “Yes?” “Harmony ascends Alicorns when It decides they embody a certain trait, right?” “That’s right.” “So... what trait do you embody?” “I... I’m not sure. I’m not even sure how this happened.” “It might have been when you became Daydream Shimmer,” Twilight said after swallowing a mouthful of cake. “That’s what I was thinking,” Sunset said. “This only opens up a whole new set of questions,” Celestia said. “Will Humans be able to ascend? Will the Human Twilight be able to do the same? Oh, there’s so much to learn.” “Is there anyway we can find out what she embodies? Or if she has a connection with the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked. “There is, but it’s going to require a small trip. It will have to wait until the human school gets out on summer vacation if we want to keep her cover, which I do.” “Um, Princess Twilight?” Twilight perked up, looking at Starlight. “Yes?” “If Harmony decides that Alicorns are worthy, then why do some go bad?” Both Twilight and Sunset tensed up, looking at Celestia. The High Princess put on a sad smile. Mouthing “It’s okay” to Twilight, she faced the small filly. “I assume you’re talking about my sister?” Starlight, apparently just realizing she has broached a sensitive topic to the most powerful pony in existence, nodded. “Embodying is a bit of a missed word. No matter how pure a pony is, they are still, at the end of the day, ponies. It’s possible for them to suffer from negative feelings like anger, or envy, or greed.” She swallowed. “My sister felt hurt that ponies didn’t appreciate her, and it wasn’t helped by me being so dismissive of her concerns. After decades of it happening, her resentment grew enough that the Nightmare was able to take her.” “I see,” Starlight said. “Nopony is perfect. No leader will avoid making mistakes, though we know mistakes might cost us dearly.” She looked at Twilight and Sunset with pained expressions before turning back to Starlight. “It’s the sad fact of any government: no one system runs perfectly.” “Why can’t we have a system where everypony’s the same?” All three ponies tensed up. Celestia, trained by years of keeping her regal facade in place, went unnoticed by Starlight, and fortunately the young filly wasn’t looking at the others. “Because ponies aren’t the same. Everypony has their own strengths and weaknesses. And it’s through those differences that ponies become better. Do you understand?” “I... think so,” Starlight said. Twilight spoke up. “Starlight, I think maybe we should increase the amount of history in your lessons. I think there will be information that will help you understand.” “Really?” Starlight said. “I think I’d like that, Princess.” Twilight gave her charge a nuzzle before turning back to the other two Alicorns. There was a shared look of concern, and a quiet promise to discuss it at a later time. “How will we know what Miss Sunset is the Alicorn of?” Starlight asked. “I take it Twilight hasn’t told you the origins of the Elements of Harmony yet?” When Starlight shook her head, Celestia went on. “After the first Hearth’s Warming, when the Three Tribes came together to form Equestria, the magic energy that burned the Windigos formed themselves into the First three Elements and placed themselves around the necks of the original three: Magic for Clover the Clever, Honesty for Smart Cookie, and Kindness for Private Pansy. “Not knowing what it entailed, the three went to the priests and were granted a peek into Paradise. Harmony spoke to them and told them the Elements’ names. It also promised more Elements would reveal themselves. And they did: by the end of their lives, Princess Platinum got Generosity, Commander Hurricane Loyalty, and Chancellor Puddinghead Laughter. “The Elements went without Bearers for generations until the day Discord appeared. During his reign I was an Earth Pony, Luna a Pegasus...” “Wait,” Twilight said suddenly, “Luna isn’t your sister? I mean, not your blood sister?” Celestia shook her head. “We were the only family we had for years. We love each other deeply, but there is no blood. Now then, we both tried finding the Elements. We did at the same time, and Harmony spoke to us. Since Discord was a rogue spirit, It deemed it necessary to perform the first Ascension. Not only would it allow us to wield six Elements between the two of us, it would allow us to control the Sun and Moon afterwards, which Discord’s games had rendered unable to move on their own. “Harmony also told us that there would be more Alicorns eventually, once they came to embody Its traits. And it has happened. Cadance came to be Love, Twilight Friendship, and now Sunset. We only need to see Harmony to find out what Sunset’s role.” Sunset turned white. “Speak? To Harmony Itself? But...” “Don’t be afraid,” Celestia assured. “Harmony loves all life, and It’s already decided you’re worthy.” “Why didn’t I speak to Harmony when I ascended?” Twilight asked. “You didn't have to. I... might have asked to take over for It during that time. I met you in Paradise in Its place.” “I... see...” There was quiet for a moment. Twilight looked over at Sunset, who was still looking nervous at the upcoming meeting, and decided to change the subject. “Well, on to another topic. I’ve started putting together my counterpart’s lesson plan, and I think I can make great strides with...” “Twilight,” Celestia said gently, causing the Princess of Friendship to stop. “I wanted to talk to you about that.” Twilight’s ears flattened against her head. There was something in Celestia’s tone she didn’t like. “Yes?” “Well, you already have a student. One who needs your full attention.” She gave a look that told Twilight everything. If the filly was asking questions like that... “Then... who will teach the other me?” Celestia chuckled. “Easy. I will.” There was a moment of silence. “What?” Sunset said, at last. “I’m sorry, Mom, but do you have the time? You have a kingdom to run and... my lessons...” Celestia gave a chuckle as Sunset blushed. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to put Luna in charge for a while. It’ll help her regain more standing and better acquaint her with the modern pony. She’s made great strides, and I think this is the last she needs to make. Besides, Twilight’s been taking on more responsibilities lately, so the workload isn’t as much. And yes, your lessons will resume, but you’re beyond the need for the constant guidance Starlight requires, or the scrutiny this new Twilight will need.” There was silence. “And... I suppose a chance to retrain one of my greatest students appeals to me a bit.” Twilight’s face burned. “Princess...” Celestia chuckled. “Besides, I think you need to empty your plate a bit. I don’t want you so busy you would never see your friends.” Twilight grimaced. She hadn’t seen her friends socially since before her trip. Since coming home, she had only had time to gather them together and tell them what was going on on Terra. “Well... I suppose. So are you taking her back to Canterlot?” “Only if you’ll deny me a place to stay here, Twilight.” Twilight’s face lit up in a way that Celestia had loved seeing on her as a young filly. “You want to stay here? In my castle? For months?” Celestia giggled. “Yes... and I’m hoping we can use at least some of that time as we used to when you lived in my castle.” “Princess... I’d be honored.” After dinner Twilight had tucked Starlight in, reading to her a bit more. Then, after some thought, she went to Spike’s room and tucked him in. He put up a token protest but otherwise let Twilight coddle him. Twilight left Spike’s room and found Captain Flash waiting for her. “Your Highness, Princess Celestia requests your presence in her chambers as soon as you’re finished with your children and any other business you have tonight.” Twilight nodded at her captain’s words and walked toward the room her mentor was staying. As she expected, Sunset was curled up on the bed with her, resting under her wing. “You wanted to see me, Princess?” Celestia chuckled. “Yes. I wanted to make up for some lost time.” Twilight blinked. “Excuse me?” Celestia gave a warm smile. “I wish you hadn’t gone off earlier. I know you were giving us privacy, but I wanted you there.” Twilight blushed. “Huh?” “Do you think Sunset’s the only student I’ve ever had that I’ve come to love as my own?” There was silence as Twilight stared at her. It lasted until Celestia lifted a wing. Twilight shot underneath it, pressing against her mentor. The wing wrapped around her, pressing her close. The lavender Alicorn was crying. “Oh, I can’t tell you how often I dreamed of having you both together.” She kissed Twilight on the forehead. “Oh, I hoped Sunset would come back and be your big sister.” “I think it ended up the other way around,” Sunset said. She was crying too. “I think Twilight’s the big sister. She’s led me through so much.” “Either way, I wanted us to be a family,” Celestia said, pulling them close. “For years it was just me and Luna. Then it was just me. And now... I have my sister back, and a niece and two children that I can share Eternity with.” She was crying. “I’ve never been more grateful to have so many to lean on in hard times.” “Does this mean... does this mean I can call you Mom too?” Twilight asked. “On one condition.” Twilight pulled away and looked at Celestia, worry on her face. “Y-yes?” “You will still love your birth mother. There will always be a place for her in your heart, even thousands of years from now when she’s in Paradise and you’re still here. That you’ll greet her in the other world when our duties are finally finished and we can move on. You’re a wonderful child, Twilight, and denying anypony the privilege of being your mother is a cruelty I am not capable of.” “I will. I still love my mother, but I love you just as much. You helped raise me...” “Then yes. You call me Mom when in private.” She leaned over and kissed her again. Then she pulled both of the smaller Alicorns together, hugging them tightly. “I love you both so much, my little Sunshine, my brilliant star.” There was silence for a moment as the small surrogate family basked in each other’s presence. Then Sunset spoke. “Does this mean Spike and Starlight can call you Grandma?” Celestia’s eyes shot open, her pupils dilating. And her daughters giggled.