Chapter 230: End of an Era
It was truly amazing how much time had passed. Shining Armor could still well remember the day he had left for Ponyville just before the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, a day that had changed his life forever. He'd made friends, real friends who actually cared about him as an individual and that he cared for the same. He'd grown more than he might have felt he had need to. He'd gotten married, had a kid and now he had taken over as Supreme Ruler of Equestria. He had become the nation's first king since the days of King Michael and Queen Lauren.
Equestria had changed a lot as well over the years. Trends that had started during Shining's time had only accelerated. It wasn't unheard of for countless creatures: Be they dragons, changelings, yaks, griffons, hippogriffs, kirin or buffalo to settle down within various cities and towns in Equestria. And new rail lines and zeppelin ports allowed for fast travel to every nation allied with Equestria. There were still those who clamored for "The Old Days", and there were still threats that surfaced every now and then, but for the most part an age of peace had settled in over the region.
And it was because of this age of peace that Shining had time to tend to something that was of the utmost importance to him, something that had been troubling him for several months now. However, that would have to wait a while. There was an old acquaintance he had to meet with first.
The doors to the throne room of Canterlot Castle swung open. A tall, slender and buff looking dragon with a familiar set of green scales on his spine entered the room. He was instantly recognizable to the king. "Sorry I'm late," The dragon apologized. "The mission with the diamond dogs got a little out of control. Fortunately, it looks like cooler heads will prevail now."
Shining Armor smiled as he rose from the throne and trotted over to hug the dragon. "I'm just glad to have you back, Spike. And so is Twilight, she's been worried sick since you were gone. It doesn't matter how big you get, she still worries."
Spike just shrugged and massaged the back of his neck with a claw. His voice had deepened considerably over the years, but it still retained that hint of youthful playfulness. "Well, that's what mothers do I suppose. It can't be helped," Then he took notice of the appearance of the pony he knew as an uncle. Namely how big the stallion seemed to be. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, have you gotten taller on me since I last saw you? You look just like Celestia now."
The king blushed. "It looks convincing, doesn't it? But it's actually a spell. Twily helped me find it," He explained in an embarrassed tone of voice. "Ponies kept saying how they thought I'd be taller. Size may not be everything, but for some nobles it can make a world of difference."
"Well, where is Twilight anyway?" Spike wondered as he looked around the throne room. "She has to be here, right?"
Shining shook his head. "She's in Ponyville getting everything ready. I've got big plans today, and I needed somepony I could trust to oversee them," And he pointed out. "Besides, Kibitz was willing to stay on as royal scheduler. Twilight only fills in if he's sick or on vacation, neither of which is what's happening."
The dragon just replied by stretching out his wings. "Ah, okay I guess. I should probably head on back to Ponyville then. Doesn't sound like you really need me."
"Actually, if you wouldn't mind I'd like you to stay by my side," The king instructed to his nephew. "I'm expecting an important visitor with whom I wish to discuss something really important."
Spike was about to ask who it was, before there came a knock at the door and a familiar voice called out. "Your majesty, your faithful student is here to see you."
Shining called from the other side of the door. "Send her in please, Gallus. I've been expecting her presence all day."
The throne room doors swung open again as a Gallus the same size as his old caretakers Gabby and Gilda strolled in. He was clad in the very same attire that the royal guard still wore, though the symbol on his chest indicated that he was only at the rank of admiral. Accompanying him was a unicorn mare who looked considerably younger than anyone else in the room. She had a light pink coat not unlike the color of the sky at dawn, a light orange and yellow mane and tail that hung down and were loosely styled, and brilliant orange eyes not unlike an early morning sun. Her cutie mark depicted a sun rising over water.
Gallus bowed in salute to his superior and awaited further instruction.
The king soon replied to the griffon. "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off, Gallus. I can manage things from here, and Captain Tempest has plenty of able bodied recruits she'd like to give their first taste of guard duty."
The blue feathered griffon nodded his head, saluting again. "Thanks, your majesty," Before departing he asked. "Are you gonna be there for the wedding next weekend?"
Shining flashed a warm smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, especially since Flurry Heart's going to be officiating it," And he added. "Congratulations on finally tying the note with Silverstream by the way. Sorry it took me so long to get around to that."
"Hey, that's alright. It took me longer than it should've just to ask her to marry me, even after Yona and Sandbar and Smolder and Ocellus got together," Gallus responded. "Hearing about how you proposed to Cadence certainly helped." And then with a flap of his wings he was off, the throne room doors slamming shut behind him.
The unicorn mare was now alone in the throne room with her mentor and often teacher. She wasn't sure what to say or what to do. An audience with the king was a rare event and in her case it usually didn't bode well.
Fortunately, the tension in the room was soon dissolved into nothing as Shining cleared his throat and warmly greeted his student. "Ah yes, Luster Dawn. So nice to see you again. I trust you've been keeping up with your studies?"
Luster Dawn nodded. "Yeah. I've been really dedicating myself at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns just like you told me to," But then she wondered. "Have I done something wrong, your majesty? I didn't mean to disappoint you or let you down."
"Luster, what have I told you about calling me that?" Shining chuckled. "I may be your teacher but I also want to be your friend. We know each other well enough to where you don't have to address me as royalty all the time," He took a moment to compose himself. "And I called you here today not because you've done anything wrong, but because there's something I've noticed about your studies that's troubling me. Namely what you seem to be lacking in."
Luster seemed to know what was coming next as she forced back a gulp. "I-it's not like I haven't tried at all to make friends. It's just... well... it's hard to really make friends when you've got magic studies to keep you busy. There's always some new spell to learn or perfect. And you did tell me that an education is important and not something to be squandered."
"Yes, but there is such a thing as compensating too hard in one direction," Shining protested as he rose from his throne. "Just take a look around, Luster. Tell me what it is you see in these stained glass window displays. Take a very good look and think hard about your answer."
The unicorn mare nodded and obeyed, examining every single display carefully to ensure she wasn't overlooking a single detail no matter how small it was. She noticed that there was one thing they all had in common: They depicted the forces of good united against a great evil that threatened Equestria. A good deal of them were focused on Shining Armor from before he had become king, but more recent displays included his daughter Flurry Heart fending off a return of the windigos and a group of creatures defeating a monster that seemed to be made up of lava. "It looks like there's something powering the forces of good." She concluded.
"Yes," Shining Armor nodded as he strolled towards his student. "It's the greatest magic of all, the magic of friendship. And it's something you don't seem to be taking as seriously as you should."
Luster jumped back and nervously stuttered. "I... I know friendship is... important! R-really, I do! It's just... well... well..."
The king sighed as he draped a wing over the mare. "I've seen this sort of behavior before, even in myself. When I was about your age, Luster Dawn, I too didn't think friendship was all that important. And my sister felt the same way. Yet we both came to learn around that time that friendship is a magic greater than any spell you could ever learn."
Luster Dawn wasn't convinced. "You say that, but I never see you with any of your friends at any point. Assuming you were friends, it seems as if you drifted apart and went your separate ways after you ascended to the throne," And she added. "The biggest takeaway I could get from that is that no friendship lasts forever. So what's the point of making friends if I'm just going to have to part ways with them eventually?"
However, Shining arched an eyebrow upward. "Whoever said my friends and I drifted apart, Luster Dawn? Perhaps maybe it's time for your most important lesson yet," And he explained. "I'm going to tell you a little story. A story that you need to hear. And one that will hopefully help you come to your senses and make you understand what friendship is truly about," Clearing his throat he began. "Surely you must've wondered what my coronation was like. The one where I was crowned the new Supreme Ruler of Equestria?"
Luster nodded. "I was just a little filly when it happened but I know it was all anyone would talk about for weeks, especially since you made Ponyville a co-capital and started traveling back and forth to the Crystal Empire to be with your wife and daughter."
The king nodded back. "Yes indeed, Luster. However, it wasn't so much the coronation itself that was important to me as it is what happened before and after it." And he began to reflect back to that day when everything had changed for him. A day that was still fresh in his mind even after all the years that had passed.
The day of the coronation had arrived and everything was ready. The castle in Canterlot had just finished its repairs and the arrangements had been set. Countless creatures from all over as well as many ponies from various cities and towns had arrived in Canterlot in anticipation of the ceremony to begin at sundown.
Yet within Ponyville, something else was happening in the run up to the coronation. Shining had just finished packing his things and taking one last look at the Castle of Friendship that he'd come to know as a home way from home. Even if he made Ponyville a co-capital with Canterlot, it wouldn't be possible to run everything from such a location. He already had the castles in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.
The prince soon to become king took one step outside, ready to head to the train station, when who should show up before his very eyes but the five stallions with whom he'd been through so much and had come to know so well? He hadn't seen much of them in the days leading up to the coronation which he'd assumed was because they were so busy with their responsibilities, getting ready for the parts they would play in the coronation ceremony. So their sudden appearance here was surprising.
Big Macintosh, the first friend Shining had made upon coming to Ponyville, spoke first. "Listen, sugarcube. We're sorry if we ain't exactly been around much since the coronation was scheduled. Yes, we've all been busy but that's not an excuse for not talkin' to ya. The truth is... we ain't sure how to feel."
"We all knew this would happen eventually, but that doesn't make it any easier to cope with," Braeburn glumly admitted. "Yes, our friendships have been through a lot. And we've already gotten used to lengthy periods of absence before. But this is goin' to be different. You're movin' away, we won't be seein' ya for months on end and that's if we're lucky."
Fancy Pants chimed in, adjusting his monocle as he tried to hold back tears. 'Our silence has been in part because we didn't want to sound selfish. And in part because we're still trying to figure out how best to process everything, including what this means for our friendships."
Soarin sighed. "We know we can't stop you from leaving, buddy. And we all agree that we're gonna do our best to keep our friendships intact. But it feels like we're being pulled apart, like we're all going in different directions. There's so much that's changing in our lives, and not having you around as often is only going to make everything harder."
Thunderlane was the last to speak up, and he did so in a noticeably somber tone. "We just wanted to let you know, while we still had a chance, just how much you really meant to us. Being friends with you was the best thing that's ever happened to us. And we'll all miss you. Our only regret is that we didn't tell you this sooner."
Shining brought the six stallions close as he pulled them into a massive hug, the tears streaming down his cheeks without stopping. "It's okay, guys. I'm gonna miss you all too. We'll do our best to keep in touch. And something like this isn't going to take away our friendships! Not so long as we're committed to each other. But we can't stop the times from changing any more than we can stop the sun from setting," He soon promised as he wiped away the tears. "I'll come back as often as I can, especially once Flurry Heart is older and can take care of herself. Now come on, we've got a train to catch!"
The six stallions traveled to Canterlot in relative silence and went about their duties and responsibilities with practiced precision. No one bothered to say a word, and even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decided it best not to break the silence so close to the big moment.
At last, the transfer of power was slated to begin. Shining stepped out onto the balcony just as he had done for his first coronation, looking out at the huge crowd that had gathered. Familiar faces old and new alike from near and far had gathered, all ready to hang on every word he said. With Princess Celestia lowering the sun for the last time and Princess Luna getting ready to raise the moon for the last time, the blaring of trumpets signaled the beginning of the official coronation ceremony.
Celestia and Luna removed their crowns and royal horseshoes, using their magic to combine their crowns into one joint crown that was placed atop Shining's forehead. He stood on the balcony in a long, flowing robe that had elegant streaks of red, purple and blue throughout. The time had come for him to give his speech. "Citizens of Equestria, and esteemed allies and guests," His voice was carried on the wind even as a firework unexpectedly went off earlier than was scheduled. He did his best not to react to it despite the loud bang. "Today is the day when the sun sets on an era many of us are sad to see go. Yet set it must, for nothing is meant to last forever."
A few whispers of anxiety and a few shocked gasps escaped the crowd, but most kept their composure. Shining waited for it to die down before resuming his speech. "However, today is also when the sun shall rise on a new era. Let this era be like the shining sun at the start of a new day, an era of continued peace and prosperity for all. We know that just as there is light there will be shadow. There will always be darkness. But just like in the era before it, let us stand united and ready to face adversity. Let us move forward and face the challenges awaiting us in this new dawn. As king I shall do my best to guide you all, yet it is only together that we'll be able to handle whatever comes our way. Thank you."
The crowd was silent for but a moment before slowly raising to their hooves and feet and sending up a deafening chorus of cheers and whistles. The coronation was complete, Shining Armor was now King Shining Armor: Supreme Ruler of Equestria. And although he would wield power jointly with Princess Luna for a while, he knew it wouldn't be long before he would be left to rule entirely on his own.
Now, with the coronation over and the celebrations underway, the young king strolled towards a table his friends had reserved for him. He was greatly relieved to have it over with. "Well, that's going to be one for the history books!" He exclaimed in relief, and his friends all nodded.
Just then, the now ex-royal sisters approached the table. It felt strange to see them without their royal attire even though their appearances had otherwise not changed. "It's nice to know Equestria will be in capable hooves." Luna declared with a smile.
Celestia nodded. "I always knew that so long as you all believed in yourself and in the magic of friendship, Shining Armor, you and your friends could overcome any adversity or challenge. I'm so proud of you all."
Shining smiled, wiping away the tears that were forming in his eyes. "It's been fun, Celestia and Luna. But the time has come to pass the torch," He then added. "I'm sure gonna miss you both. You especially, Celestia. You've always been like a second mother to me."
Celestia smiled, embracing Shining in a tight hug. "It was my pleasure, Shining, You and Twilight were like the children I always wanted," Then she commented. "Who knows? I may just settle down and have a family proper now that I no longer have the burden of every day rule to get in the way. Though I think first I'll be visiting the Everfree Forest to see what's become of the museum that the old castle was converted into."
Luna added. "And then you're gonna go straight to Silver Shoals, aren't you? That's where most retired ponies end up."
"Perhaps I will, someday," Celestia vaguely replied. "But for now, like Starswirl the Bearded, I intend to travel the world and see everything for myself as a commoner instead of royalty," She then told the stallions. "But if you ever get into trouble and need my advice, just ask." Then she and Luna trotted away.
A moment later, Starlight, Twilight and Spike all approached the table. "We have a little something for you. Especially you, Shining Armor," Starlight explained. "Your friends' absence over the past few days wasn't entirely because they were working through personal feelings."
Spike added. "We were planning to give this to you before the coronation, but things didn't quite go as planned." He placed a heavy book upon the table.
Twilight explained. "It's a book of memories, that way you can look back on the experiences you've all had over the years without worrying about your memories failing you," She smiled. "And don't worry, B.B.B.F.F, there's a lot of memories just for the family: Including myself, Spike, Cadence and yes even Flurry Heart."
Shining smiled back before closing the book. "Thank you, all of you. This is the best going away present any guy could ask for," Then he firmly declared. "But it won't be enough for us to just cling to the past. If we want to change the future we need to dedicate the present to making a difference. And for my first official act as the new ruler of Equestria, I hereby authorize the creation of a Council of Friendship. It shall consist of six permanent members besides myself, and I think we all know who those six are. There will also be two rotating positions for Twilight and Spike, seeing as they'll have their own responsibilities to tend to."
"And when should this 'council' of yours meet?" Fancy Pants proposed.
"At least once a month if possible," Shining replied. "Hopefully we can meet more often than that, though. If we really want our friendships to survive and continue to serve as an inspiration to others, we have to take these measures. Friendships break down easily if we don't bother to maintain them or let them be dissolved."
The story ended just as five very familiar (to Shining anyway) stallions entered the throne room. The years had been fairly kind to them: Braeburn had grown a mountain beard, Big Macintosh had a few grey locks and some bags under his eyes, Fancy Pants had a few stylish grey streaks and had traded in his monocle for a beautiful pair of shimmering ruby red spectacles, Soarin had gained a little weight (muscle, he insisted) yet remained as agile as ever and proudly displayed his new co-captain's jacket, and Thunderlane had cut his mane and tail short and now bore a uniform associated with high ranking Wonderbolts.
"Ah, just in time," Shining smiled. "I was hoping you could all make it in today."
Soarin smiled back. "Would've been here sooner but our train quite literally got derailed and we had to help everyone evacuate. No injuries or fatalities to report, but it looks like they'll be replacing the old locomotive sooner than they thought, at least temporarily."
Luster Dawn blinked in amazement and also confusion. "I don't get it. I'd never seen you all meet like this so I just assumed..."
The six stallions (alongside Spike) all laughed together. "Oh Luster," Shining said at last as he revealed his intentions. "The whole point of my story was to teach you that friendships can last a lifetime if you let them. And for a pony your age, to not have friends or to even consider friendship as anything but a waste of time is most unfortunate. However, it's not too late. You're young yet. And while your friendships may not necessarily change the world like mine did that doesn't mean the friendships you make won't be just as important."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Fancy Pants chimed in. "And as it just so happens, Luster Dawn, we all are in agreement about where you should go. You're officially graduating from your magic studies and are being promoted to friendship studies."
Big Macintosh then declared. "And you'll be studyin' in none other than the friendship capital of Equestria: Ponyville! Some of us will even be there to keep tabs on your progress."
"Don't forget, that's where the School of Friendship is," Thunderlane pointed out. "You should consider enrolling there. They've got so many wonderful teachers, some of whom are former students themselves. Heck, after marrying Starlight Sunburst took up the job of guidance counselor there just so he wouldn't have to be in a long distance relationship with her."
Braeburn cheered. "We'll all look forward to seein' ya around. And every now and then, when we have get togethers, you'll get to give progress reports to your teacher. Won't that be nice?"
Shining then concluded. "All of this depends on your answer, Luster Dawn. It only seems fair to give you a say in something so life changing," And he offered. "Do you wish to move to Ponyville and officially begin your friendship studies?"
Luster Dawn nodded without hesitation. "I do! I most certainly do!"
The king smiled! "Splendid, it's official!" And he then declared. "Come, let's begin preparations for your journey. I expect great things from you, Luster Dawn."
The unicorn mare pondered. "What makes you say that?"
"Because the circle must complete itself," Shining answered. "Just as I went from being a student to being a master so too must you. And considering how much you remind me of myself... well, how can I not expect you to make friends and experience life to the fullest the way I did?"
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That was a fantastic ending! Glad to see Shining's coronation went much smoother than Twilight's did in canon. I honestly prefer GallBar over GallusStream but I don't mind reading ships about them, so the little mention was a nice tie-in. And SmolCellus is one of my Young Six ships so yay! I'm glad this story got a great ending like this, I look forward to more of your work in the future.
Shining flashed a warm smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, especially since Flurry Heart's going to be officiating it," And he added. "Congratulations on finally tying the note with Silverstream by the way. Sorry it took me so long to get around to that."
"Hey, that's alright. It took me longer than it should've just to ask her to marry me, even after Yona and Sandbar and Smolder and Ocellus got together," Gallus responded. "Hearing about how you proposed to Cadence certainly helped." And then with a flap of his wings he was off, the throne room doors slamming shut behind him.
Yeah the Shining flashed a warm smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, especially since Flurry Heart's going to be officiating it," And he added. "Congratulations on finally tying the note with Silverstream by the way. Sorry it took me so long to get around to that."
"Hey, that's alright. It took me longer than it should've just to ask her to marry me, even after Yona and Sandbar and Smolder and Ocellus got together," Gallus responded. "Hearing about how you proposed to Cadence certainly helped." And then with a flap of his wings he was off, the throne room doors slamming shut behind him.
Yay the shipping fuel is higher of the young 6 🥰🥰
Ok that part kind of open a old wound because that also happened to me after I graduated from high school I haven't seen my friends from school for a long time and it hurts to know that it didn't last long but the thing is I'll never forget the days that we were still friends and somehow I'm still trying to keep contact with them even though I don't talk to them as much
Yes I did remember those shorts they did before the coronation came around even though some of the world flashback but it's still it was so nice to see that they can share their memories with each other
Ok wow what a way to end a story and that is a pretty long journey that you made of your au story so with the official of the coronation over Shining Armor becomes the king of Equestria sure that was probably a lot of hectic and probably some mishaps but in the end everything turn out pretty well the emotional Goodbye from Celestia and Luna and not only that having the book of memories from Starlight Spike and Twilight and to the Future it looks like luster Dawn is going to have an interesting journey in Ponyville of learning the importance of friendship so with that said this was a pretty amazing story sure I came in late but hey better than late than never right as I said before I will miss the show so much amazing job on your story
10542575
To me of the young 6 shipping I'd rather have GallusStream and YonaBar its more romantic but SmoldCellus I like that one as well and yeah the show could have done it better with Twilight coronation but like I said things are not always perfect right 😅
10542620
Heh, well, I think Gallbar is plenty romantic too, but yeah, Smolcellus is adorable
10542623
Yeah like I said Everybody has their likes and dislikes so its ok 😊
10542629
Heh, yep. As long as you're not rude about it, you're entitled to your own opinions
10542630
Thanks same to you as well
10542636
I'll definitely say it's been a wild ride, through and through. It's been so long that i'm not sure if I truly did follow this from the very beginning....but it feels that way. And I enjoyed every moment of it. The way you took a used "What if?/AU" concept that i've seen used plenty of times, but made it even more unique than those others astounded me beyond imagining. And though I love everyone else, how can I not speak of how much I loved your story universe's Shining Armor? Since I first saw him, he somehow clung to me in so many ways that it made him my favorite pony hero, just as my favorite villain (despite what S09 did with him. Grr.) will always be Lord Tirek, although Sombra's a close second. And to see him in an actual, central role was enjoyable in so many ways I can't even begin to say them all. It's like he started out as we first met him in "Canterlot Wedding" before he evolved and developed as a character over time. You treated him with the upmost respect, and made him a lovable, relatable, and epic character in this series. I couldn't have asked for a better gift in life than this story. Thank you for making it, and thus gifting us all with something wonderful and unique.
Through this, I got to once again see how the magic of friendship grows, and I felt it every step of the way: I couldn't have asked for anything better. So once more, thank you. Thank you for little over 9 years of an epic, and amazing experience. It was truly an honor and a pleasure to be a part of it, even as just an outside viewer.:)
The coronation going wrong for Twilight was meant to show that even if things don't go perfectly, it isn't the end of the world. It didn't mar the new beginning at all. Not to mention having it not go wrong in Shining's story makes Luster's misconception a little less believable...
Not having it go wrong, continues to make this version of Shining Armor look like the Gary Sue this story portrays him as.
Darn good job on the exchanges, characterizations and wrap-up in this final chapter. Sorry I took a few days to get around to reading this. My computer had a virus and it took more than a week to get it fixed.
Anyway, I really liked the little extra details depicting the changes over the past couple of decades as well as Shining's scene with his friends in the flashbacks going so well AND Celestia's plans to travel the world for a while before heading to Silver Shoals.
Certainly looking forward to more of your work in general.
10545638 The coronation going wrong has nothing to do with Twilight though, it's not because of anything she does or doesn't do. Why wouldn't a coronation be coordinated for things like catering or when fireworks are supposed to go off? All of that is stuff that Twilight's friends should've been working on in the days leading up to the coronation, especially if they were trying not to think about Twilight moving away.
By the last chapter, did any of the stallion 6 here got married, if so, with who?
10602663 Big Macintosh married Cheerilee.
10602678
What about the others like Soarin?
10602704 The only other one I for sure paired off was Shining to Cadence. The others are all up to interpretation.