Those Forty Years

by Spell Writer

Chapter 35 - The End of the Beginning

Twilight idly sits on her throne. Smiling, she listens to one of her nobles give a report.

"The changelings haven't been too much of a problem. Celestia and Luna are handling most of the danger from them. We lost track of Discord a few months ago. He has not been seen since then. I think he found out we were keeping an eye on him." The noble says as he reads through a small stack of papers floating in front of him, a gentle pink hue coming off his horn. Twilight sighs a little and nods for the noble to continue speaking. After clearing his throat, he continues speaking. "Other than that, there haven't been any significant issues, your Majesty. Equestria is in a good place right now."

Twilight exhales a little and smiles. "Thank you! That'll be all." She says with a smile. The noble nodded and left the room after excusing himself. Twilight stretches a little on her throne. "Mmm. The last meeting of the day went pretty well if I do say so myself! Fourteen hours of work, and I still feel fresh." She happily says as she turns to her assistant. "Tell Celestia and Luna when they get home that I'll be out tonight! Oh, and tell them not to forget about game night tomorrow!" She says as she rushes out of the throne room, doing two backward hops to keep eye contact with her assistant as she leaves. As she exits the throne room, she flicks her head back, causing the crown on it to be thrown in the air, landing upside down on its cushion next to the door. Twilight giggles a little as she levitates it and sets it upright.

"Wahoooo! I have all day to myself. No monsters to fight, creatures to scare away, and most of all, no laws to sign." She says with a hum as she casts a simple spell on herself. With a weave of magic, she returns to her original, smaller, younger form. "Mmm." She stretches a little as she gets used to her smaller body. "Heheheh." Twilight giggles as she rushes off into Canterlot, long strides and quick jumps allowing her to bolt into the city proper. The town itself is preparing for a large festival, a huge one. Why? Well, because it was the first Summer Sun Celebration ever! The festival celebrates the first summer sunrise of the year and Unity's defeat. While Twilight wasn't particularly interested in the event itself, she could see something fun if she had been keeping track of time correctly (Which she knew she did). With a quick leap into a bush, a few startled ponies, and a confused pair of construction ponies, Twilight sets up her spying spot, binoculars at the ready.

Twilight giddily smiles as she watches through the binoculars. She then spied on two ponies who ran into each other and had an awkward moment together. The pair were stumbling over their words as they tried to help each other clean up the mess they created. Twilight smiled as she watched curiously. "So that's how my family line started. I think Dad said that he collided with Mom at top speed when he met her. Maybe it's just fate. or a curse." She says to herself. Learning about her family history had been a prominent side activity for her. Of course, she never got invasive, just idly watching and hearing things here and there. But she knew her family line started on the first summer sun celebration and had to learn how. After all, even the books on her family tree don't go this far back! With a bright smile, Twilight sits back and sighs as she escapes out of the bush, leaving the two stammering ponies to their devices. "I wonder if Cadence would scold me for doing this." She taps her chin for a moment.

Then she fully remembers how Cadence used to be, giggling to herself. "Nope. She'd probably join in." She hums as she continues on her walk. After all, she had more objectives for today than just spying on two unwitting ponies! With a spring in her step, she heads off to the next spot on her list.

Twilight happily walks to a nearby building. The magic school is going in full force inside. As she trots into the building, she says hi to all the teachers. Ponies of all types waved back as they saw her, from Amethyst Star's ancestor to Sunset Shimmer's. So many ponies gave her a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest as she greeted every one of them. Twilight had long passed the school to Celestia, who wanted to manage it. "Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns," Twilight says as she exits the building. "Doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Twilight's School for the Magically Gifted, but I'm not gonna complain." She says idly before snickering as a thought passes through her mind. 'The school is gonna look so different after I blow a hole in the roof.'

Twilight hums as she continues her walk, waving to Hearthfire as he passes. "Hearthfire! If you wanna be my court mage, now is the chance!"

The alicorn-blooded unicorn laughs a little. "In your dreams, your Majesty. But perhaps for your daughters.~" He chuckles a little, having returned to Canterlot just last month to settle down and enjoy his life. While his sisters were nowhere to be found, he had become an archeologist and adventurer of good renown, even if he had allegedly stolen from the local museum a few times. "Ap ap! They never proved that!" He said to Twilight, effectively reading her face.

Twilight giggles in response. "Sure. Just remember when you're done to return the maps, alright?" She smiles. "Oh! Before I forget." She grabs a book from her room, using an inverted teleport spell. "Put this book safely away in a tomb or dungeon. It has THAT in it."

Hearthfire raises an eyebrow. "And you trust me with it? Bold." He says with a smirk as he takes the book in his magic.

Twilight shakes her head. "Not bold. We both know that you're the only pony in the world that would find a ditch so deep that no one would ever see it. I can't destroy the book because your mother made it indestructible. However, I believe having a written record of history and even those three spells we made is necessary to move forward. Just keep it hidden so I can find it when I return to the future." She smiles as she gives Hearthfire a wave of the hoof. "Good luck on your next adventure, though!" She then trots off quickly.

Hearthfire chuckles a little to himself. "Ahh, Twilight got me pretty good there. I guess I'll oblige. This doesn't mean I'm working for you, though!" He yells at the retreating Twilight, who just cheekily smiles at him as she rushes out of town.

After a short run, the Queen happily rushes to the graves of her friends. With a smile, she puts two little candles on the headstones and some wreaths, her horn glowing as she continues caring for the objects. "Doubt you two would wanna be left out of the festivities!" She laughs a little, genuinely smiling as she puts the garlands over the headstones. "Keep watching over me, Moondancer!" She says as she starts trotting away. "And Unity, make sure you enjoy the show!" She hums as she leaves the two graves, all neatly cleaned and tidied up, flowers adorning the area, and the small sapling has grown into a large tree, glowing with crystalline fruit that shines in the moonlight.

Twilight takes a deep breath as she stretches her wings. Taking flight, Twilight heads off towards the Everfree Forest. With a beat of her wings, she quickly lands in the castle, avoiding monster and beast alike. None of them even dared to get close to her. Trotting down to the crevice, she looks into the cave where it all ends. The small crystal sprout has finally grown into something resembling a tree. "Almost there. Don't drag your hooves now, tree. We all need you more than you'll ever know." She says as she puts her hoof on the tree. "My time here is almost over. The first cameras were made around this time, and well, I was not there at the first Summer Sun Celebration. So, I'm guessing that Celestia and Luna will send me home tomorrow morning." She smiles softly.

"This adventure sucked at the start. I almost kicked the bucket six times. Not to mention being branded a traitor, messing with the timeline to no end, and creating you. Was it worth it? Mmm. Yeah. I think so." Twilight says with a smile to the tree, sparkles gently shimmering in the cave's light. "So do me a favor, Harmony. Do better than Unity or even me. Take care of this land while I'm gone. Help Celestia and Luna, help everyone that needs it. Spread your roots far and wide so that Equestria and, most of all, the creatures across Equus live happily and in peace, even if it means that I end up a hero. It's all worth it in the end." She giggles to herself. "I'm sorry that I ever doubted you. But at least give me a break when I go back, alright? I'm not as young as I used to be!" She laughs heartily, Twilight smiling as she stretches in place. "Oh, and send a message to my friends in the future. Tell them. 'I'm coming home!'

Twilight then exits the cave, looking up towards the sky. With a glow of her horn, she gently moves the sun and moon across the horizon. She smiles quietly with a hum to herself and a tilt of her head. "Well, if this IS my last day here. Then let's have some real fun. How about an adventure for old time's sake?" Twilight smiles as she leans down. Take a deep breath as the Tree of Harmony glows gently. "Let's see how it feels to be Rainbow Dash for once." Twilight closes her eyes with a gentle exhale, focusing intensely on herself and an old connection between herself and her Pegasi friend, a long age bond. She felt the link between herself and her friend, a link that had not degraded even slightly over these millennia. Twilight bolts out of the cave with a gentle blue glow overtaking her body. Flying at speeds she couldn't even believe.

A short trip around Equestria never hurt anypony! Twilight happily flies across Equestria, helping anypony that needs it. While Twilight's story in the past was coming to a close, she felt free. She felt loved. She felt what it was like to be adored and cared for. She learned more about herself than she'd ever learn otherwise. Whether she was better off after her adventure in the past is yet to be seen. Even Twilight herself had some worries. Would her friends accept her back in the future? How would her relationship with Celestia and Luna change? Reservations and thoughts of this nature went through her mind, but Twilight wasn't worried. She could deal with anything life threw at her. She was ready for anything that could happen. Sure, she wasn't invisible or all-knowing, but she had matured. She wasn't the same mare who distanced herself from relationships because of pain. She wasn't the mare that tried to do everything herself to protect everypony.

She was Twilight Sparkle, Queen of Equestria—the Queen of Friendship. She learned to rely on others, and she learned to face the pain of loss. She learned what it was to be a Queen.

And most of all, she learned how to be a mother. Nothing in her future could ever be harder than that!

As Twilight opened the doors to the dining room the next day, she smiled at Celestia and Luna with a big grin. She knew what would be happening that day, so she made all their favorites! "Enjoy some pancakes, sweeties! We have a long day today."

The two sisters look at each other and fidget in their steps. Twilight smiled softly to give them the courage they needed to speak. They were fighting against themselves for a moment before they finally spoke. "Mom, Luna, and I have something to tell you," Celestia says.

Luna blinks. "Wait, that's today?! But my birthday is next week..." She mumbles to herself. "I thought we were gonna tell her about the vase we broke!"

Celestia gives a side look at Luna. "Yes, today, Luna! And when have we ever told Mom about anything we break?" She says with a huff before she looks at Twilight with a smile. "We've noticed that you've been a bit more off and on lately. I think we're ready, Mom."

Luna mumbles to herself quietly before closing her eyes. "Yeah, Mom... I think we're ready to rule." She says with a smile. "It uh. It won't be easy without you. But I hope you're okay with that."

Twilight smiles and hugs both her daughters. "Of course, I'm okay with it, you two. I told you both that when you two were ready, you could say so. I appreciate you two letting me go home now." She says with a smile before teasing them both. "I was getting worried you two would never fly the nest." She huffs proudly as she puffs out her chest. "But my fillies are adults now. They need to do their jobs." She says with a double nod. "BUT that doesn't mean we can't have one last breakfast together and, of course, a short scolding for breaking ANOTHER vase!" She says as she motions to the table, revealing many pancakes of all their favorite flavors. "How about it? One last breakfast with Mom before she goes home?"

Celestia and Luna wince before their eyes brighten up at the sight of the several rows of pancakes in front of them, rapidly nodding before they have one last breakfast with their mother.

It was the best breakfast they ever had. Scolding included.

Author's Note:

Just the Epilogue left.

It's been a wild ride! I hope you all enjoy.

Comments

[loudsilence34]

Damn, ending so soon 😞

[Spell Writer]

11748714
There's more to come! Just in another story. The last story for the trilogy. ^.^

[The Spy of the Tiger]

A short trip around Equestria never hurt anypony! Twilight happily flies across Equestria, helping anypony that needs it. While Twilight's story in the past was coming to a close, she felt free. She felt loved. She felt what it was like to be adored and cared for. She learned more about herself than she'd ever learn otherwise. Whether she was better off after her adventure in the past is yet to be seen. Even Twilight herself had some worries. Would her friends accept her back in the future? How would her relationship with Celestia and Luna change? Reservations and thoughts of this nature went through her mind, but Twilight wasn't worried. She could deal with anything life threw at her. She was ready for anything that could happen. Sure, she wasn't invisible or all-knowing, but she had matured. She wasn't the same mare who distanced herself from relationships because of pain. She wasn't the mare that tried to do everything herself to protect everypony.

So she channeled her inner Rainbow Dash to circumnavigate Equestria, huh. I don't suppose she went East, no?