- XXX -
- XXX -
Celestia and Fluttershy left the cottage, and Fluttershy squeaked in surprise as the group of ponies crowded around them immediately.
“Oh my goodness, is that Fluttershy?” asked Rarity, squinting at the little filly and adjusting her glasses.
“Oh mah stars, she’s cute as a button,” Applejack cooed.
“Is everything okay with her?” asked Pinkie Pie worriedly.
“She’s fine, she’s just a filly!” replied Dash with a grin. “She looks like she just fell off the cloud at flight camp.”
“Fluttershy is an itty-bitty adorable filly?!” cried Pinkie Pie, and collapsed to her haunches, shouting up at the sky, “Why do you taunt me with adorableness and I can’t even see it?!”
“Sorry Pinkie Pie. I’m sure your eyes are the first thing Princess Celestia will fix,” Rainbow Dash consoled her friend.
“Oh, can you do it before you fix Fluttershy? I’ll bet she’s like... like... weaponized cuteness!” begged Pinkie Pie.
“We’ll see what happens, Pinkie Pie,” Celestia replied with a smile.
Light Stride approached Celestia, looking up at her anxiously. “Was everything all right? You seem a bit more drained.”
“Fluttershy represents my choice to not have children. It is a decision I made long ago... and one that I still stand by today. That said... it is not easy, sometimes,” Celestia stated quietly.
Light Stride nodded solemnly. “You’ll get through this, Princess. We just need to get Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia chuckled. “Thank you for your concern, Light Stride. You are a good friend.”
Light Stride smiled at Celestia, and then knelt down to look at Fluttershy. “Hello, Miss Fluttershy. Remember me?”
“Uh...um...yes,” Fluttershy replied softly, taking a small step back from the chestnut stallion.
Light Stride laughed and straightened up, grinning at Celestia. “She’s too cute.”
“I know.” Celestia returned his grin, feeling better, and gestured to the rest of the group. “Come along, now. We’re going to the library to get Twilight Sparkle.”
“Why would she be in the library?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“She’s livin’ in Canterlot now, ain’t she?” Applejack questioned.
“That is true... but I believe that she will be at the library. Call it a hunch,” Celestia replied, leading them towards the edge of Ponyville.
The group wound their way between silent buildings, sticking close together in the face of the eerie silence that filled the town. They reached the farther edge of Ponyville and turned past the last row of buildings, finding the massive oak tree that Twilight Sparkle had once called home. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy halted together, looking to Celestia. She’s approached every house alone, but this was the last one. Celestia smiled at them, and stepped forward out of the group, Light Stride walking by her side, and knocked on the door to the library. “Twilight?” she called.
Celestia heard a clap of magical discharge from behind her, accompanied by a bright flash of purple light, but she did not turn. Behind her, Light Stride and the five mares gasped, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Light Stride take a few steps back, before dropping into a deep bow.
“Hello Celestia,” replied a calm voice from behind her. “It is good to see you.”
“Twilight Sparkle. It is good to hear your voice,” Celestia said, smiling.
“Why don’t you turn and face me, Celestia?” asked the voice. It was older than Celestia remembered, filled with a reassured air of command that she had never noticed.
“Because I am afraid of what I will see,” Celestia answered, after a moment.
“Princess... why are you afraid?”
“I don’t know what you have become, my most faithful student. Are you the filly I remember, from so long ago? Are you the hesitant unicorn, too wrapped up in her studies to look beyond her books?” Celestia chuckled, and the voice behind her shared in that laughter. Celestia continued, “Perhaps you are the fulfilled young mare, living a life full of friendship and magic? Or the newly-crowned Princess, uncertain but willing, ready to serve her ponies and bolstered by the strength of her friends?”
The voice sighed softly, and Celestia felt the presence behind her grow nearer. “I am none of those things, Celestia, and all of them. I am all that you remember... and much more. Turn around, my mentor...my friend.”
Celestia exhaled slowly, and turned, facing the figure behind her.
Princess Twilight Sparkle had changed. Her legs had grown longer, her coat darker. Her mane and tail now flowed with astral brilliance, indigos and deep blues and purples swirling together like a nebula of colors, complete with the sparkling of stars. Her eyes were ancient, filled with wisdom and strength, but tempered with compassion. Her wings were large, almost as large as Celestia’s own impressive span, and had grown powerful and beautifully angular. She wore the regalia of a true Princess, made from shining bronze and covered with amethyst gemstones. The crown on her head, though, was as it always was: The Element of Magic.
The regal alicorn before Celestia smiled uncertainly at Celestia. “Hello.”
“Twilight Sparkle...” Celestia breathed, feeling tears of happiness in her eyes. “You are beautiful.”
Twilight laughed softly. “You flatter me.”
“You’ve grown up, Twilight, and you look every inch a Princess of Equestria. I am proud of you,” Celestia stated, smiling.
“Thank you, Celestia. It’s been too long,” Twilight replied, embracing Celestia.
Celestia held Twilight, laughing happily. “Too long?”
“Yes... I’ve been working so hard, and I barely have time to pull myself away from my kingdom, The Twilit Reaches, in the East. I see why you and Luna decided to become a diarchy... it’s very hard to run a whole kingdom by myself,” Twilight said, laughing.
“A-...a kingdom?” Celestia asked, confused.
“Yes. You always spoke of grander plans for me, of new beginnings and greater things to come... and I made those dreams a reality. I have a country, Celestia, a staunch ally to Equestria and The Crystal Empire, a ambassador of friendship and peace to the wider world, and one of the most advanced civilizations in the land.” Twilight smiled softly, her eyes far away.
Celestia smiled. “You’ve been very busy.”
Twilight nodded, her smile faltering slightly. “Yes. It’s a good life, Princess... and I love my subjects... my little ponies,” Twilight chuckled. “I’ve been considering taking an apprentice, even. There are a few candidates that I’ve been keeping an eye on...”
Celestia swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. “I sense that there is something amiss, Twilight.”
“You... never told me how lonely it would be,” Twilight said softly, after a quiet moment of introspection.
Celestia glanced over Twilight’s shoulder, towards Twilight’s five friends, who were still frozen in awe at the sight before them. She looked back to Twilight. “It wasn’t supposed to be that way for you, Twilight.”
Twilight took a small step back, looking confused. “I don’t understand.”
Celestia sighed. “You were never supposed to become me, Twilight Sparkle. You were supposed to become your own pony. A Princess not only of magic, but of friendship. An alicorn that could walk amongst her little ponies not as a goddess or a ruler, but as a friend. Not above them, but one of them.”
Twilight nodded slowly, and sighed. “I tried, Celestia, and for a while, it was like you said... but immortality... the passage of time... it taught me things. I’m afraid it hardened me to the love of friendship. No matter how close I became with my ponies, after my friends passed away, it was never the same. I was afraid.”
“It was never going to be an easy road for you, Twilight.”
“It was just... after losing them, I tried making friends... and it was okay still for a while, but I still hurt inside. I accepted their deaths, but soon it felt as though I would wake up every day and all the ponies around me had been replaced, by children or grandchildren, lines of descendants. They may have been Fluttershy’s great-great-granddaughter, or Applebloom’s children’s children, but... it was never them. It was too hard, and it hurt too much!” Twilight cried, eyes filling with tears.
“Twilight!” Applejack called.
Twilight Sparkle froze, eyes growing wide in shock. Celestia smiled softly at Twilight as the younger alicorn shook her head. “N-no... not possible...”
Pinkie Pie yelled at Rarity, “Move me closer! I want to pull that silly filly into a hug she’ll never forget!”
“Just a moment, darling, I believe the situation is a bit beyond what a hug can fix,” Rarity replied gently.
Twilight Sparkle turned around, her jaw dropping wide in surprise, and sat down heavily.
“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Pinkie Pie said, her grin becoming fierce.
Pinkie Pie leapt out of Rarity’s steadying hoof, leaving the elderly mare to balance her frame against Rainbow Dash’s side, and ran blindly towards Twilight. Twilight caught the blind pink mare’s charging hug full on the chest, rocking backwards and falling into an undignified heap as Pinkie Pie clung to her, laughing happily. Pinkie Pie’s straight mane quivered, and then joyously exploded into it’s usual curly tangle of frizz. “We’re here, Twilight!”
Twilight lay on her back, too stunned to speak, as one by one the girls joined Pinkie Pie in a massive group hug. Light enveloped the group of ponies, their laughter and joyous reuniting growing muffled. There was a flash of color, and when the light disappeared, the six mares stood together, embraced close. Twilight Sparkle was herself again, no longer the ancient ruler, but as Celestia remembered her on the day of her coronation only weeks ago. Fluttershy had grown up, and Rarity had grown young again, both returned to their normal ages. Pinkie Pie’s blue eyes sparkled with unbridled happiness. Rainbow Dash and Applejack stayed as they were, but they both cast glances towards Celestia, and she saw in their eyes the trust of her loyal friends and subjects. There was no fear in Rainbow Dash’s eyes, nor hate in Applejack’s.
Light Stride smiled at Celestia. “You did it.”
Celestia returned his smile. “We did it.”
Light Stride blushed slightly. “What’d I do?”
“You were there for me, Light Stride. Thank you.” Celestia gave him a hug as well, and the guard returned it after a moment of hesitation.
Twilight Sparkle approached Celestia. “We’re here, Princess. What do you need us for?”
Celestia beamed at Twilight, releasing Light Stride from her embrace. “As always, Twilight, I call you and your friends to serve. We have need of The Elements of Harmony, once more. Are you ready to do your duty?”
“Of course!” Twilight replied without hesitation, puffing out her chest proudly, her Element of Magic glowing in response to her call.
The necklaces of the other Elements of Harmony appeared in a flash of purple teleportation magic, and Twilight passed them to her friends with her telekinesis. They stood together, united, smiling at Celestia. Twilight nodded. “We’re ready.”
“Good.” Celestia took a step back, and sat down before them. “I need you to use The Elements of Harmony on me.”
Twilight looked confused. “Uh, what?”
“Why’d we use it on you?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“You’re not a bad pony, silly princess!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“Hold up now, y’all,” Applejack gestured to her friends to settle down. “Ah’m sure she has a good reason.”
“Indeed. Let’s hear her out,” Rarity said.
“Um...okay.” Fluttershy squeaked.
Celestia explained quickly. “I have fallen victim of a magical spell that is keeping me trapped in a powerful illusion. I believe, however, that the illusion will fail if it attempts to create the magic of The Elements of Harmony. The illusion is powerful... but its creator did not know the strength of true friendship. If you use the Elements of Harmony on me, it should overload the spell as it tries to do something it was never designed to do.”
Light Stride stood beside Celestia, smiling. “She speaks the truth. I’m caught in the same trap with her. She’s the key, though. If we can get her out, the whole trap should fail and it should release us both.”
Twilight glanced at her friends, who looked to her for guidance. She nodded slowly. “It makes sense, actually... I just hope it works.”
Celestia smiled. “Thank you, my faithful student.”
Light Stride sat down beside Celestia, and she looked at him. “Though this has all been an illusion... you’ve seen much of myself that I’ve never allowed any but, perhaps, my sister to see. My fears... my dreams... my regrets. I trust that you can keep a secret, my loyal guard?”
Light Stride laughed, “Of course.”
Then he said four words that made Celestia very happy.
“What are friends for?”
Celestia laughed, pulling him close to her side, and turned to Twilight. “We’re ready.”
Twilight smiled. “All right, girls.”
One by one, the Elements of Harmony began to glow as the six mares focused themselves. The light became nearly blinding, and Light Stride looked away, as it built to its full brilliance. With a roar of arcane energy, the Elements of Harmony ignited in a rainbow arc of power, that flew above Celestia before swirling around her and Light Stride. All around Celestia, the world began to shatter, and she felt like she was falling.
Her eyes filled with nothing but the swirl of rainbow color.
Stats
Page generated in 0.035 seconds
Total duration
804 users online
1,185,132 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
It's been one heck of an awesome journey, it has.
Ahhhhh..... That was awesome. I'd like to think I can understand what Twilight represented, but, I dunno.
One final day.
You did it. You actually did it.
Lets see that epic ending!
~Skeeter The Lurker
And then they all had sex.
Celestia without protection.
She has a foal. XD Life is good.
Awww.
The station's coming into view. The ride's almost over, and the sun is starting to set.
Take us into the night, good sir.
2867213 AND THEN THEY ALL HAD SEX.
2867846
I'd have used that on it's own...
~Skeeter The Lurker
Called it
Whew, back from my holiday with a nice dose of writing to greet me. The last couple of chapters have been good, if a tad predictable, and I'm lookin' forwards to the big one coming soon
I don't want the journey to end! :'(
Haha! Eat friendship, you subconscious-manipulating scum!
Very nice Twilight take.
Oh, you really should have. God, I would have laughed my ass off.
6826395 That would have worked perfectly if it was timed to land on April 1st.