197
Equus
Canterlot, Equestria
Celestia’s Quarters
2:22 a.m.
Princess Celestia had no nightmares, but still couldn’t sleep. Her night was filled with an incessant flow of thoughts that couldn’t be bothered to let the Princess of the Sun earn her rest. Even when all else was settled for the day, even when the nations were at ease and the next day would yield another bridge to cross, there was never a dull moment. Not anymore. Not after all that had happened.
Removing her sheets, Celestia arose from her bed and slipped her hooves onto the cool, marble flooring. She escaped the hold of her chambers, pushing aside the doors that led to her balcony. As once before, the soothing, summer wind washed the worries of the day and night away from her nerves. It cascaded across her features, her body, her lightened expression in order for her eyes to flutter to a close. She took in that deep, calming breath, assured herself that it was and she was. The elements persevered and filled her with life. She had survived and managed to gaze upon another day, another night, with that assurance that all of their efforts were made worth it.
Her eyes slowly opened, that dream-like trance she was temporarily trapped in fading away when the harsh reality fell upon her. Like the light of a shattered moon. That light fell over Princess Celestia in its haunting white glow, only amplified by the dozens of fragments pockmarked across the night sky. From the two moons, from Luna’s and Earth’s own, that light covered her balcony, all of Canterlot, and the mighty new empire Princess Twilight Sparkle had crafted in her absence. The light of the moons could never have been alone.
Resting on the horizon, planet Earth maintained its position forever caught in Equus’ orbit. The lights shimmering across the dark continents brought forth a whole new idea of size and scale to the princess. It developed into a greater sense of what exactly would come next for her, for her sister, or for her little ponies. Thanos had come and gone, but the repercussions to his actions remained. Typhon was defeated, and his armies of Tartarus with him. The war was long over. The world had been rebuilt in their absence. The sun and the moons moved without their aid. What more was needed out of the Royal Sisters that Twilight and her friends hadn’t already proven they could handle?
“An empty dream?”
Her ears perked up at that, Celestia turning towards the undeniable sound of the fluttering of wings and saw Princess Luna land on her balcony. Her wings folded neatly by her sides, the Princess of the Night and of the Moon approaching her older sister steadily. Slowly, cautiously, before settling herself on Celestia’s right side. Together, they stared at the remnants of the moons, the Earth, and let those winds take their breath away.
“There was no dream, Luna,” Celestia finally answered.
Luna pursed her lips, sighing and turning aside from her sister’s far away stare. “If my thoughts share yours, we both ponder on the same possibility.”
Celestia turned to her. “Which would be…?”
Princess Luna gazed longingly to the starry night skies, the scattered moon pieces, and to the world resting beside their own. The ghostly white shimmers from the moons illuminated her face into a pale expression of wonderment and anxiety. Her emotions clashed, her face torn, eyes staring off into the expanse with no clear end in sight.
All she could say was, “Where to go from here.”
And that was certainly a question Celestia had pondered from time to time. More so currently than ever before. Her eyes fell away from her sister, gazing to the balcony floor. A moment later, she was staring back to the emerging clouds infecting the black and white canvas. She was staring long and worrisome onto the Earth and the possibilities it planted upon their world, their very way of life, and the future.
“I believe I might know,” Celestia said, quickly earning Luna’s eyes. “But for now… let us allow Twilight and her friends to reconvene. As well as to rest. They deserve it.”
Luna rose a surprised pair of brows. “You truly believe it’s time?” she asked.
“Princess Twilight will ascend to the throne soon enough. Naturally, without force. The world has little need for us any longer,” the eldest responded. Her voice seemed shockingly distant, almost as if the words pained her to say. Except, there was no pain, not any Luna could find. Celestia seemed oddly at peace with what she uttered, with what she believed. She seemed settled with what fate had given them and their worlds. “It has changed in more ways than one. With that change came great suffering… great turmoil… great pain.”
As she spoke, she could only imagine such sufferings from the final battle. The change in all of their lives had affected not only Equus, but Earth as well. Their human allies suffered just as much as they did, and when the time came to end that suffering, to bring about retribution for the universe, the real heroes did not hesitate. Tony Stark’s sacrifice undoubtedly saved them all. It was the sacrifice of the Avengers as a collective whole that brought back the Vanished and saved the universe from evil.
It was their sacrifice that ensured her little sister was returned to her. There was a time Celestia thought she had lost her for good, when Thanos’ depravity was first inflicted upon Equestria. There was a time… when Celestia had nearly lost all hope. But the time for hopelessness, for pain, had finally ended. Strengthening and recovery would be needed for the days to come. The Royal Sisters were finally reunited thanks to the Avengers.
They—like trillions of others—were avenged.
That was enough to bring a thankful smile to her lips.
“But out of it also came something beautiful,” Celestia finished.
Luna broke away and stared at her shattered moon, tried to stare exactly where her sister did. She could not see what Celestia saw, nor could she understand exactly what Celestia meant. Perhaps someday, when the worlds would appear to Luna the same way they appeared to Celestia. Someday, where Luna could finally see the beauty within the chaos. That wasn’t to say she was ungrateful for the heroics of the Avengers, or those who had given their lives for a greater meaning. She showed her appreciation in her own way, masked it under the duty and perseverance the Princess of the Night exemplified to her people. To carry on their selfless attitude was her way of saying thank you. Her moon—the moons—remained and assured Luna that was still work for her to do. Amending the past, fixing what was broken, and assuring their future was the best it could ever become was the first of many duties Luna had set for herself.
And thankfully, she wouldn’t face it alone.
“What must we prepare for?” Princess Luna asked.
Princess Celestia turned to her and smiled that warming, motherly smile. She draped her wing over Luna’s withers, the Alicorn sighing contently under that touch, under that embrace, and growing a soft smile at the sound of her sister’s voice. The voice that seemed to wash over all of Canterlot, all of the Equestrian Empire, and across the cosmos when Celestia faced those heavens and breathed.
“A new beginning.”
Reunited at last, the two sisters nuzzled and stared together. Stood under the light of a new moon, at the edge of a new universe.
3 chapters left i hope the future is shown next
"Above all, do not lament my absence. For I know in my spark that this is not the end... but merely a new beginning.
Simply put: another transformation."
-Optimus Prime
Great chapter!
Question(s), what happened to Chrysalis during this story? Did she vanish when Thanos snapped or did she survived the snap and is still traveling the Everfree Forest?
10236682
Don’t forget cozy glow and Tirek
10236691
Wasn’t Tirek killed in the Age of Ultron crossover or was it from a different MLP/Avengers crossover by a different author (maybe wounded from the latter)?
When you have hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up. Even after such destruction, a new hope and future have been made. Looks like Twilight will ascend the throne sooner than expected in this story!
Plot twist : Mysterio and his goons do their drones' thing scheme in Equestria's cities, and Peter and his class go for a tour in Pony Land, with the purple princess as their tour guide?
Everyone counts, especially you two.
All things, except for The Simpsons, come to an end Luna, it is the way of the world.
Though I must agree Rainbow Dash in this instance. I can't really see how your retirement will affect things differently than with the previous crises.
Only three more chapters left to go!
It was a short, but great chapter. I assume that one of those last three chapters is going to show Twilight ascending the throne of Equestria?
Answer to this question: Reading awesome crossover
10236810
Hopefully that happens I want to see Clint reunion with older mane 6 and meet luster dawn too
It cost a new beginning for all worlds. A sister bond to the princesses was nice. And from the Avengers, their legacy will be memorable to both earth and equestria, forever. A nice chapter. 3 more to go.
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Don’t worry. Since the mane 6 were part of the avengers, he can visit them sometimes so he won’t be lonely without his team
10236694
No. He said that Tirek just went back to Tartarus.
Well, Twilight did prove she could run the country. Maybe let her rest for a while, though. Those five years were tough on her.
If Discord pulls that Grogar bullshit after everything they've been through, I'll kill him. Again!
10237234
I doubt that, I prefer the real Grogar, arrive and maybe reveals to be Discord's father.
Since he was the father of all monsters.
Also I blame the writers for that crap! Geeze they ruined Discord badly in the final season took everything he learned and tossed it out for a stupid twist ending.
STAN'S SOAPBOX!
And there came a day, unlike any other. Things have changed, either for the better or for the worse. When a great band of heroes, legends, pillars of strength... Avengers... united together amongst even bitter rivals and grudges, against a common threat, to fall together, only to stand again. Fought against the foe no hero can stand against. Their heroic legacy forever will endure either a legend or myth, in immortal remembrance. Hang loose heroes! They may fall, but rest assured... Another will rise from their ashes... and carry on... what they started.
'Nuff said.
10237234
Surprise!!!! Mysterio is Grogar in this timeline.
Nice moment for the royal sisters.
10236676 Very wise words, Prime. Very wise.
10236682 She survived. Her story is yet to be told.
10236698 Twily's gonna need a LONG rest before that.
10236706 Not a bad idea.
10236730 Definitely them.
10236779 Simpsons should've ended a LONG time ago.
10236810 Maybe, maybe not. Guess we'll find out.
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10237043 Thank you!
10237234 Very doubtful Discord would ever pull something like that in this continuity.
10237908 A fitting inclusion!
10238152 Thanks! I thought so, too!
And here I go being late yet again. You'd figure with the quarantine I'd have all the time on Earth to be up to date but I have been surprisingly busy, anyway, it's not like anyone cares or should care.
Great chapter, I honestly feel like the changing of ruler feels more right in this fic because they have a way more valid reason than just "because Twilight's ready" but instead because they don't serve that much purpose anymore, I mean, they weren't even ruling for the past 5 years and while Twilight had help ruling, she didn't have too much problems (which makes you wonder how she learned to rule a whole Empire in a time of crisis without preemptive training (unless she played a game from Paradox, then I'd understand)).
Also, small question, do you plan on doing an Epilogue "X years later" like in the show or maybe even a whole mini-fic epilogue to that (a man can dream, ok) ? I know it's only 3 chapters away but I am curious.
Oh and obligatory kudos for the chapter !
10238305
True dat. Behind the Laughter should have been the end IMHO.
10238665 Thanks for the kind words! There won't be an epilogue this time around, though the ending will open up some more possibilities. We'll just have to wait and see.
Someone needs to go into Universe Sandbox and see if this is even possible. Two earths (close enough) orbiting each other while also orbiting the sun. See if a moon somewhere between 1 and 2x the mass of earth's moon can sit between them. See if the planets can orbit perpendicular to the plane of solar orbit (so neither would eclipse the sun... I don't think that is mentioned happening in this story).
I suspect the tidal forces would rip both planets apart. But it would be interesting to see for sure.
10239171 The moons orbit them both, not between them. I kinda explain how the tides are affected in an earlier chapter, as well as other affects to both worlds. I'm fairly sure that both worlds can be caught in the other's orbit, so they won't eventually impact each other.
Princesses Celestia and Luna are very well written here.
SMH. Dude...don’t.
The war might be over, but their adventures continue! They're going to honor the sacrifices their friends made so they could be avenged, There's a whole wide universe of possibilities and friends out there, just like there will be new villains to oppose what they have built together.
I actually think Twilight ruling Equestria herself and the Royal Sisters retiring would make more sense here since she was basically already doing that for five years (or whenever she took over from Queen Novo). But either way, a very touching moment between Celestia and Luna.