The End is Always a Beginning in the End

by Tom of Bedlam

Actions and Perspectives

Spike had been right; the day at the orchard was attended by all her friends from about Ponyville: Pinkies kids Inky and Blinky as well as Pound and his boy Marble were there bright and early. Humbug who was Lyra & Bonbon's adopted daughter as well as the Carrot family were there at a more respectable time.

Storm Surge, Flitter and Sand Stone; Fluttershy's foster kids rolled in late, Baronet Lustre like mother was too refined for bucking but he painted an amazing landscape of the day. The Wonderbolts swung by for a few hours out of respect for ex-serviceman Dash's widow, The CMC organized everyone and dragged along some recruits. Even Discord dropped by to throw a spanner in the works which was his own special way of helping.

There was laughing, crying and hugs; Twilight had a rather intense conversation with a Wonderbolt about mortality that really helped her get a perspective on what was important, Blinky tripped and got her head stuck in a bucket but Twilight couldn't stop giggling long enough to remove it, old ma' Carrot Top took her by the hooves and begged her to keep an eye on Ponyville as she feared her time was short which moved the Alicorn to tears and by the time Macintosh Jnr thanked everyone for coming out and sent them home full of apple pie and cider the nascent Alicorn's soul felt fuller as well.

She meditated on the briefness of those around her as she walked back to the throne room, their short time on this world made them all the more precious to her and if she locked herself away sure she'd never be hurt but also she miss out on all the wonderful people around her, she had lived the cloistered life and now she had learned what friendship could be she wasn't about to give it up no matter the cost.

She was surprised to find the Princess of the night sitting eyes closed in the soft light of the thrones, an enigmatic smile played on her lips. She had quiet forgotten about her appointment.

Twilight awkwardly semi flounced in "I'm sorry Luna, I totally forgot, you haven't been here long have you?"

Unmoved Luna whispered serenely "Oh, a couple of hours perhaps, do not worry I was listening to old friends, they are quite lively here."

Twilight walked round and sat in her throne with a sad smile "Aren't they just, I said last night it was as if they were still here, Celestia seemed to think they were, Elements of Harmony and all that."

The mention of her sister's name was like a pea under a mattress and nagging frustration played across Luna's face "Yes, well she never was much good with things beyond the physical, hence her woeful abilities in the dream world. I believe that when someone invests in a place they leave a little of themselves behind, they certainly poured their hearts and souls into this room."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while listening to the echoes of conversations long gone, finally with a reluctant sigh Luna shifted her face into put upon sister mode. "So, what did 'celly have to say for herself?"

The purple Princess looked downcast "Well she confessed to manipulating me into becoming a deity defined by friends I would lose and likely be condemned to never ending heartbreak and eternal loneliness for her own goals...

Luna rolled her eyes "Well that's certainly one way of looking at it, if you thought only the worst of her."

Twilight continued with her outpouring "...she seemed disappointed that I wasn't going to punish her and confused that I was trying my best to forgive her."

Luna chuckled "You may have noticed she comes from a family of hysterical, self hating drama queens with martyr complexes. Well, that rather negative assessment of her actions leaves out a few factors that soften the image somewhat: maternal pride in her student and the desire to see her reach the pinnacle of achievement, love of a student she feared to lose and loneliness, faith that her student would have the fortitude to survive the pressures of divinity and become an even greater force for good, hope that the first six would not be the last and that her student would find friendship enough to sustain her. Not to mention that you may not have had a choice anyway."

That last one got Twilight's attention, she creased her brow "What do mean I may not have had a choice?"

The night Princess looked pained for a moment before proceeding carefully "Well, one becomes an Alicorn because your mortal form can no longer contain the magic within. You may have become one anyway but without Celestia's guidance you could of gone rogue or mad. You could have failed the transformation and simply exploded instead. Or perhaps you would have spent your life suffering from uncontrollable magic surges or even mutated into a draconequus or some such. It may not have been a choice just a random genetic quirk."

Luna watched the Alicorn of friendship as she reeled from the information, she crossed her hooves and her eyes twitched with intense thought as some internal debate raged back and forth "if you're telling the truth why did she come here and claim to be the sole cause?"

"Did you forget the hysterical, self hating drama queen with a martyr complex bit?" Luna grinned "Besides the outcomes I mentioned were only possibilities, you could of lived a perfectly happy normal life, if I know my sister she probably recognized the symptoms early on and decided it was a perfect convergence of your needs and the needs of Equestria but lost her nerve when it started to get painful for you."

"You could've said something yourself you know" Twilight glared.

"Who says I did not?" The dark Alicorn murmured pointedly" I suggested we bring up this issue as soon as you ascended but 'celly forbade it, as you were her student I respected her wishes. She was afraid how you would react and that she would lose you as she lost me, each time another of your friends died she would send her guards away and sit quaking in her throne waiting for the hammer stroke that never came, you are smart and she thought it was only a matter of time before you realized the full implications and descended on her like a storm of vengeance. I suppose she could not take it any more and decided to get the showdown over with."

The former student rubbed her face "Then she doesn't know me as much as she would like to think, I am angry at her for keeping this from me but I would never bring harm to another or Equestria for that matter, I'd kill myself first."

Luna looked uncomfortable "Well that was my concern, that you would throw yourself on Applejack's pyre so to speak, fortunately you had Spike to watch you."

Twilight let out a heavy sigh "I'm angry Luna, but I don't hate her. In light of this new perspective that would be like hating my mother for giving birth to me because of all the pains of mortal life. I'm angry because she didn't warn me or give me a choice, even if it was living forever or exploding, when she should have. Who knows, I may have decided to go for it on my own accord 'for the good of Equestria' just like she wanted, at least I could have been better prepared and my friends could of come up with something to help me through this."

Luna began to stand "Well 'celly has always been controlling, it's allowed her to build all this..." She gestured about "...but it has cost her so many personal relationships, ponies quickly get sick of her interference, but it's born of fear not lust for power. After we lost our Parents and the world slid into chaos, she had to step in and create order again, I think she thinks if she loosens her grip on the world it will all unravel again."

Twilight grinned mirthlessly "Well that's a fear we share, she has always forgiven me for overstepping the lines and hurting others in my need for order and stability, now the shoe is on the other hoof I will do my best to get over it."

The moon monarch stuck her head next to her young compatriot in a conspiratorial whisper "Twilight, don't worry about my sister and I, we are not going anywhere and have been through worse. You concentrate on making it through this depression and grieving with your loving heart intact, 'celly isolates herself behind formality and I just hide in my tower and neither of us are particularly happy, you may be better served following Cadence's example and seeking further...companionship...maybe you'll turn out better"

Twilight also stood and they embraced "Thanks for coming out Luna, your insight has at least smoothed some of my ruffled feathers" the Night monarch kissed her on the forehead "Remember I'm only a dream away if you need me and don't get sucked into my or 'celly's histrionics..." She gave a cheeky wink "...have your own."

There was an implosion of black light and Luna winked out before Twilight could respond, she smiled and shook her head. It was nice to hear her mentor had her well being at heart even if she had other things in mind. Luna was right she had assumed the worst of Celestia and maybe the old Alicorn had spent too long alone with her guilt to see the good within herself either. Her thoughts drifted back to Carrot top, while she herself was afraid of seeing everyone else die the old matriarch was terrified of not being able to watch over her descendants, maybe the grass would always be greener and she would have been unhappy no matter which side of the grey curtain she ended up on.

It wasn't over, which was life in its most basic definition, there would be dark days and loneliness ahead, but there would also be bright dawns and new friends if she had the strength to seek them out and believed in the verity of the magic of friendship.