Stars Are Forever

by The Autumn Princess

i.

Stars Are Forever

by The Autumn Princess

---

The stars had never been this bright before. Then again, two ponies were controlling the skies for once. It was a bit of a collaboration -- with rays of magic dancing along the constellations. The celestial bodies were targeted, and every time a beam of light would hit one, it would burst into sparkles. Laughter would soon follow, and the source of it came from the palace. The scene up on the Castle balcony was actually quite heartwarming, no matter which way you looked at it.

Standing side by side, with matching priceless smiles, were two of the Princesses.

Luna bestowed a bit of a smirk, and aimed her magic straight for the brightest star in the sky. In the blink of an eye, that same star instantly lit up in a blue swirl that was beyond dazzling.

Taken aback by the beauty, Twilight Sparkle took a moment to observe the masterpiece.

This moment was enough to allow Luna to make the move she had been waiting to do for a while. Her small smirk twisted back into a sweet smile and she leaned forward, stealing a quick kiss from her fellow Royal. As expected, Twilight’s face was now the item to light up -- with a bright red blush.

“You’re too adorable sometimes,” Luna murmured. This did nothing to lessen the rapidly spreading blush that was turning Twilight’s face and neck a fair shade of red.

“You caught me off guard.”

“As was the point,” Luna teased. “You’re far too serious. If you aren’t caught off guard, there’s no reaction from you.” It was true, of course, but Twilight didn’t dwell too long on the fact. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t enjoyed the surprise. After a few wonderful years of getting to see Luna every day, and nearly as many even more wonderful years getting to wake up each night beside the mare, Twilight had grown to love everything Luna threw at her… including the off-guard kisses.

Twilight’s smile melted into compassion as she nuzzled Luna, who happily returned the affectionate gesture. This was it -- the part of the fairytale every Princess got. Happiness, contentment, and a sure promise for everlasting love. Granted, the classic tales never involved two Princesses falling in love with one another, but sometimes, tradition was meant to be broken.

...then again, the other part of their fairytale was unspoken at this moment.

It was called a happy ending for a reason. At some time, sooner or later, it would be over. But in this moment, they could focus on their life now -- together as lovers and married for almost two years.

“Tell me something,” Twilight whispered. “Is the legend of naming stars true? That if you gift one with a name, it’ll grant a wish?” She smiled bashfully. “I heard it about as a filly, but I never took the time to marvel over such silly things.”

Luna let out a soft laugh. “It used to be, when I could keep track of them all,” she replied.

“Now there’s more than you could count,” Twilight sighed. Still, the smile never left her expression and she set her sights on one of the stars she had hit with her magic earlier. It had a violet aura around it, and was twinkling like a true jewel. “I’ll call that one--” She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “--Astra. It’s Ancient Pegasus, it literally means star. The meaning is a bit obvious, but the name is exotic.”

“Well, then, your wish is my command,” Luna declared. “What is it you desire?”

Twilight looked over to her beloved, and intertwined their hooves. “For this moment to stay here, frozen in time,” she whispered, placing a brief, soft and sweet kiss on Luna’s lips. “Just you and me.”

A lopsided smile made it’s way on Luna’s expression. “I can’t control the world, even if it seems so, but I could give you a promise to make it seem like every minute feel as wonderful as this one is,” she murmured, as she wrapped her wing around Twilight. “Because my word is all that I can give that really matters.”

Her blue eyes met Twilight’s sparkling lavender ones, and Luna giggled.

“Did I ever tell you that your eyes are like amethysts?” she said.

Another twinge of a blush was enough of an answer.

Twilight released a content sigh, and leaned against her beloved. “So we can be happy forever?” she asked.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Luna inquired.

“Forever is a long time,” Twilight said simply.

It was this statement that took the final piece in the puzzle to fall, and Luna released a deep breath as she stared up at the night time sky.

“It is, isn’t it?” she realized. “But even I can’t go on forever. No one can.”

Twilight’s expression threatened to show a slight frown -- but in the presence of Luna, she just couldn’t.

“I knew you would bring this up sooner or later, but just not this quickly,” Luna continued. “Why don’t you look at the stars? I think if I explain this to you in a manner you might understand, then you will also realize what I’m seeing at my angle.”

Slightly perplexed, but going through with the request nonetheless, Twilight turned her gaze back up to the sky. Her eyes darted all around, looking for whatever Luna was trying to say.

“Tell me, how old are the stars?”

“Well, they were created before you and Celestia were born, and you’re both well over a thousand years old, and your parents’ ages were never recorded so--”

“--not mathematically,” Luna said, with a soft laugh. “Philosophically, I mean.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” she questioned.

Luna shot another sapphire-colored beam of magic to one of the tiniest stars, causing it to light up and start flying across the horizon. Then, it exploded, and thus, smaller specks decorated the sky. “See?” she said, pointing to the new creation. “Even when they are destroyed, stars last. They give us new ones to marvel over. It starts out with one, but evolves into something more.”

“So… what’s your point?” Twilight said. “I’m lost.”

“If something as simple as a ball of gas and chemicals and atoms could last forever, then the magic bond between you and I -- the purest love, it can outlast that tenfold,” Luna declared.

Twilight frowned. “But … we have one major difference,” she muttered.

Luna sighed. “I thought we agreed not to bring this up,” she said.

“Agreed or not, it’s always going to be there. Just because we don’t talk about something doesn’t mean it will no longer be a problem. You and Celestia were both born with your gifts. I was given mine by a bunch of shiny rocks. You’ll get to live forever, and I won’t.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” it wasn’t often that Luna used her full name these days. “Immortality is not all you would think. Yes, my sister and I will live forever, while you and Cadence will not. But there is not as much good as you would believe. I will have to live on and watch as I lose you, but you will not know that pain. You will not have to suffer the losses of your friends, as Tia and I have done in the past.”

Twilight wanted to say she understood and drop the matter there, but something kept her from doing so.

“I don’t care,” she said, quietly at first. “I don’t want t-to keep aging while you remain frozen as you are. I don’t want to get old and die while you still look so young.” I don’t want you to stop loving me because I age and you don’t. Twilight didn’t need to say the last part. It hung between them, an unspoken worry and a thought that had never once crossed Luna’s mind.

“It’s a price I’m willing to pay,” Luna said. Her voice was serious, stern and at the same time, loving.

“Why?” Twilight asked, with a rueful laugh. “Why take a mortal lover?”

“Last I checked, there were no immortals for me to go browsing through for possible love matches,” Luna replied. “And even if they were, they wouldn’t be you.” She noticed Twilight’s hesitant expression and continued. “You think I’m just saying that to make you feel better.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement -- almost as if Luna could read Twilight’s mind.

“Twilight, if you were as petty as you think, I would have never taken the time to try and push our relationship beyond friends. Just because you are mortal doesn’t mean I love you any less, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, but--”

“--if anything, it makes me cherish this even more so. Think about it, if I knew you would go on forever, then perhaps you wouldn’t be here with me right now. Maybe I would have kept pushing back the urge to request a date. During that time, it is likely that you would have fallen for somepony else,” Luna said. “Then what? Where would that leave me? Brokenhearted. But, knowing that if I never took the chance, realizing you were like anypony else, I knew that I had to ask you.” She gently brushed Twilight’s tricolored mane out of her face. “Now do you understand? Because we have limited time, I won’t waste a minute of it. And I never have, if you can recall.”

Twilight slightly smirked. “I have to admit, after only six months of dating, I was a bit shocked when you popped the question,” she teased.

Luna playfully rolled her eyes. “But I’m sure you get the point by now,” she murmured. “I don’t care if you’re mortal or immortal, unicorn or alicorn -- or even not a pony at all, you would still be the same Twilight Sparkle I know and love. If aging is your enemy, so be it. I’ll take what I can get with you, because you’re one in a million.”

“I… suppose when you put it that way, it does make sense,” Twilight murmured.

“And the past three years of courtship has been enjoyable, hasn’t it?” Luna said.

“Enjoyable doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Twilight replied, with a priceless smile.

“Then just let it ride through. Don’t worry about the future, be happy with the present and smile back on the past,” Luna declared. “Out of all my years, that’s the most valuable lesson of life I’ve learned. And you are the priceless gift I’ve been given.”

“Y-you’re doing that on purpose!” Twilight stammered, as she felt her cheeks heat up. “Quit complimenting me!”

Luna’s sweet laughter echoed off of the Castle walls and down below for all of the land to hear. “You’ll have to force me,” she teased.

Twilight smirked. “You’re the worst sometimes,” she playfully shot back.

With a soft hum, Luna nodded, and placed a kiss on her lover’s neck. “Yes, I know,” she said. “But you don’t really mind, do you?”

“Not at all,” Twilight smiled.

Their lips connected, and the kiss was sweet and spine-chilling.

Luna released a heavy breath, her smile twitching. “Just promise me that you’ll always remember I love you,” she whispered. “I could care less about mortality. You will always be the same young and beautiful mare I fell in love with. Years will pass, and I’ll still see this adorable face of yours.”

Twilight giggled, and nodded. “I promise,” she murmured.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Comments

[twilunashimmer]

I really liked the story so far, but personally I really do think Twilight is immortal.

[ElkinFencer10]

4453790
According to Lauren Faust (whose word I take to be just as canon as the show itself), Twilight and Cadance, since they were not born alicorns, are not immortal like Luna and Celestia.

With that said, however, I agree with you; despite what Faust may have confirmed, all alicorns are and will always be immortal in my own person head-canon.

[lishmael]

4610345 There is this funny fact about canon: it does not matter. While I, alongside with no doubt thousands of others express my eternal gratitude to Faust for her creation, we've gotten more than "canon story" from her - we've gotten possibilities, and new ways of looking onto things. I would be first to agree that "canon" show is not perfect, and has literally tons of inconsistencies within itself, it what lies beneath what truly matters.
Thus said, all alicorns would stay immortal in my head world as well.
This notwithstanding, good work.