The Final Speech
Twilight Sparkle anxiously paced behind the curtains, her hooves engraving hoofprints into the carpet below her.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she muttered as she continued to pace around the room.
“Relax, Twi. The creatures of Equestria have dealt with situations much worse than this. I’m sure they can deal with your speech just fine,” Spike reassured her as he leaned back in his chair.
“But… but, there’s just so many things that could go wrong! What if they don’t take the news well? What if they don’t want me to step down? What if… what if they begin protesting, Spike? They could start a rebellion to stop me from resigning!” Twilight shouted, her breaths becoming shorter and shorter.
Spike watched her as she began to hyperventilate. Strands of hair were starting to stick out of her mane as her pupils shrank to pinpricks. He let out a sigh before getting out of his chair. This was a situation he’d been dealing with as long as he could remember, and he knew exactly what to do.
He walked over to her and gently put a claw on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. Take a deep breath, in… and out…,” he said, guiding Twilight’s calming routine as she controlled her breathing with a hoof on her chest. Slowly, the exercise took its effect on her, her mane returning to its normal flowing self while her pupils expanded back to their usual size.
She took in one last deep breath, held it, before letting it out. “Thank you, that helped a lot. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Nah, don’t mention it. I’ve been doing that for the past… what, three hundred years? Honestly, much of my life has been making sure that you didn’t lose your head in your frequent panic attacks,” Spike teased, winking at Twilight.
“Hey! I think you’re forgetting something, mister! Remember all the times that I had to take care of you while you were still growing up?” Twilight shot back, pointing a hoof at the accusatory drake and faking a glare.
Spike chuckled, holding his claws up. “Relax, I was only teasing. Anyway, my point is that you shouldn’t worry about this. You prepared for this like you always do. You made sure all the political systems were in place, and you even announced you’d be stepping down. If the ponies were okay with it then, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be okay with it now.”
Twilight gratefully nodded. “That is a good point; there’s no reason for them to be upset with me stepping down, not when they had all the time to object. You do know how to calm me down, Spike. Thanks for that.”
Spike waved a dismissive claw. “Don’t mention it. As I said, it’s what I do.”
Just then, a voice called out for Twilight. “Your highness, it is time. Are you ready?” Twilight’s assistant asked as she stepped into the room from beyond the curtains.
Twilight took in a deep breath before turning to answer her. “Yes, Ink Note. I think I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”
Twilight then walked towards the curtains, which opened sideways as she stepped out into the balcony beyond. Immediately the late afternoon sun greeted her, its warm, pleasant rays comforting her as she looked down at the palace square below.
There they were, thousands of creatures filling the square as they awaited their princess. Instantly they became quiet, the silence spreading throughout the crowd.
They then roared up, cheering and shouting and clapping for the leader who brought peace and prosperity to their nation.
Twilight smiled upon them. It was a soft, sincere smile, one she wore for the first time in what felt like years. Her heart thrummed inside her chest, her emotions too many and too intense to be described by mere words. Tears filled her eyes, all her feelings and memories provoked by the sight before her tugging on her heartstrings.
They were her subjects, ones that she looked over and cared for over the centuries. Seeing them cheer for her reminded her of just how proud she felt for them, and instantly all her fears and woes magically disappeared.
Then, off in the distance, she saw two alicorns hovering over the heads of the citizens, one white and the other a midnight blue. Celestia and Luna had also come to hear Twilight’s final speech.
Just like you said you would, Twilight thought as she gazed upon them, smiling at the former princesses even though she knew they wouldn’t be able to see her.
Slowly, the cheers and claps died down, and silence filled the square once more. However, a certain air of anticipation now hung over the crowds, waiting for Twilight to begin her final speech.
She took in a deep breath, held it, and began to speak.
“Citizens of Equestria!” her voice rang out into the open, the clear vibrance echoing through the crowd below.
“Today we have gathered for a special occasion. One which will mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. I would like for us to remember one thing: this progress was made not on my own, but with the help of countless others that contributed to friendship one way or another.
“Friendship is magic. That we all know. As the Princess of Friendship, I can attest to that. And that is a lesson I did not learn myself. There were five best friends to help me along the way, five best friends that always stayed by my side no matter what.
“Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Each represented Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, and Generosity. These five girls have been my best friends ever since the day I went to Ponyville under Princess Celestia’s orders. They still are my best friends, and they will always be, no matter what. It’s what they told me when time itself came between us, it’s what I tell myself now, and it’s what I will be saying in the future.”
She took a short pause, then continued. “Even after my friends passed, their values stayed with us. Since their time we have undergone many changes. Generations of Element Bearers have come and gone, while we explored outside of the world we knew and found uncharted lands and races. Equestria became more diverse than ever as new creatures from all over the world mixed into our society. And yet, even with all the differences between all the different creatures living together, we’ve had very little serious conflicts. The spirits and virtues my friends established continue, and with them we maintain harmony.
“There were times when crises struck. Times when all seemed lost against the forces of nature we couldn’t control. When Manehattan fell to the strongest earthquake we had ever seen. When an eldritch monster from the Everfree stormed Ponyville, threatening to destroy everything and everyone in its path. When a rogue lightning storm struck Whitetail Woods and caused the biggest forest fire ever recorded.
“Even in these bleak times, friendship became our hope, the lighthouse that guided our way out of the storm of despair. Creatures lined up to donate their blood for those injured in the Manehattan earthquake while providing shelter for those who lost their homes. The citizens of Ponyville came together and fought against the monster, driving it back into the Everfree. Everyone worked together during the Whitetail Woods fire to put out the flames, saving the woodland and its countless inhabitant creatures.”
Twilight paused once more, swallowing as she prepared for the next part of her speech. “As the ruler of Equestria, as the overseer of all the events occurring in this country, watching you overcome various obstacles without the help of the Elements or any assistance from me has made me prouder than ever. From friendship you have learned and done so much, each and every achievement far outshining those made by me all those years ago.
“You have proven yourselves to have fully embraced the lessons of friendship, and be able to pass them down from one generation to the next. You have shown that you are able to solve problems without assistance. Seeing that made me realize that I had completed my role, that I had successfully spread the lessons of friendship to not only those living in this nation, but also to those outside of Equestria.
“The revelation led me to make the decision that is the reason we have all gathered here today. From this moment, I officially dissolve the position of the throne of Equestria, effective immediately.”
Twilight paused momentarily, letting that final sentence sink in. Silence reigned throughout the square as the crowds below processed what had just been said, a small murmur rippling through the masses.
After the whispers had passed, Twilight resumed her speech. “The decision to resign was not an easy one to make, nor was it made lightly. I spent many a night strolling the halls of the palace, wondering if this was truly the right thing to do. I was worried that stepping down would prevent me from being able to protect my subjects. I was worried that in the absence of a leader who focused on friendship, a dictatorship might be established. I was worried that I might have been mistaken and that my job, in fact, was not over yet.
“Such worries were vanquished on one night when, under the disguise of an ordinary pegasus, I left the palace and wandered the streets of Canterlot. Everywhere I went, I could feel the magic of friendship flowing in the air. No one lied to each other, nor did they leave each other’s sides even in times of difficulty. Laughter filled every house and every alley. Neighbors kindly looked after each other and generously shared needed items.
“That night, I realized that I worried too much. All my concerns about the possibility of a negative outcome were answered. At that very moment, I made my decision.
“From that night to this very moment, through all the preparations that were made for this day, I have never had any doubts as to whether Equestria would maintain itself after my abdication. With perfect certainty, I have confidence in your ability to guide yourselves. For you have shown that friendship was, still is, and ever will be, magic.
Her voice began to tremble as her speech neared its end, tears threatening to rise in her eyes again. She knew what was coming, but she pressed on. “It was an honor to be your princess, but it was a bigger honor to be your friend and watch all of you grow and mature.”
She paused, momentarily lowering her head as she swallowed back her tears. She wanted this moment to last forever, to just stand there and keep lovingly looking at her subjects that made her so proud. But she knew that it had to be done. And so she raised her head and lit her horn. She lifted her crown and her peytral over her head and lowered them upon the ground next to her. Then, she croaked out her last two words.
“Thank you.”
Instantly the crowd exploded into applause, those with wings soaring up into the air as they clapped with their hooves and claws while others rocked their hooves against the ground. They cheered and cried for their ex-princess, shouted her name with heartfelt gratitude for all the things she had done for them.
Twilight smiled once more as tears freely cascaded down her cheeks, her tears blurring out the image of the creatures chanting her name. She blinked the droplets away, her sights clearing for a short time as she tried to capture the scenery below her with her constantly-blurring eyes as much as possible.
“Thank you. Thank you so much, everyone,” she whispered, even though she knew they couldn’t hear her amongst their cheers and claps.
Then she looked up, and through her blurry sights, she saw five silhouettes against the western horizon, smiling at her as the sun slowly crept down beneath the surface. Twilight was certain that they were just a trick of her mind, a combination of her emotions and the shadows of clouds.
She didn’t blink them away as she turned and headed back in.
As she stepped inside, she was greeted by Spike, as well as Celestia and Luna waiting for her.
Twilight wordlessly pulled Celestia into a tight embrace, leaning her head against her former mentor’s shoulder. “I missed you,” she whispered, tears falling down her face.
“I missed you too, Twilight. It’s been a long time since we talked face to face, hasn’t it?” Celestia responded, returning the gesture as she held Twilight against her.
Twilight silently nodded. “Did I do it right? Did I make the right choice?”
Celestia gently patted Twilight’s back, comforting the younger alicorn. “Yes. Yes, you did. It’s never easy to see your subjects outgrow you, and yet it is the proudest ending any leader can hope for.”
“And it is an even more noble ending, for one to let go of power and step down of her own volition. You have achieved a finale that is both admirable and noble, one that you should rightfully be proud of,” Luna chimed in as she walked over to nuzzle Twilight.
“Not to mention all you’ve done for Equestria. After working yourself to the bones for three centuries, I think you earned yourself a bit of a break,” Spike added as he joined in on the group hug.
Twilight silently nodded, merely standing there and feeling the warmth her friends were giving her. “I miss them,” she whispered again a few moments later. “I miss my friends. I saw them when I saw the sunset after finishing my speech. I know that they were just shadows playing tricks on me, but I didn’t want to believe it….”
“We miss them too. All we can do, though, is to make sure that we carry on their legacy,” Celestia replied as she held Twilight tight.
“Which you have done an excellent job of, as we already said. You have ensured that friendship will never be forgotten in this world,” Luna added.
Twilight quietly nodded again without saying a word. She then slowly broke the hug, her face streaked with tears and her eyes swollen red. “Thank you. I feel… a bit better now. I didn’t want to step down because of how happy I felt looking at my subjects growing from friendship, but I had to do it. It was for the greater good, after all.”
“That it was. And, as Spike said earlier, you have earned yourself a break, Twilight Sparkle. Now you’re free to spend your time however you wish to, may it be with friends, or traveling around the world, or just simply relaxing on your own,” said Luna.
“Well, I was thinking about going to Donut Joe’s with Spike after the speech was over…,” Twilight trailed off, a smile forming on her face as Spike looked up in surprise.
“Well then! That sounds like a lovely idea. Wouldn’t you agree, sister?” Luna inquired, to which Celestia eagerly agreed. “Then we shall head over there and enjoy the donuts in celebration of Twilight officially stepping down from her office,” she said with exaggerated seriousness, eliciting a giggle out of Twilight.
The two sisters lit their horn, and with Spike, disappeared in a flash of light. Twilight prepared to follow suit, lighting her horn as she readied the teleportation spell. Then she turned her head to look out the window one last time. There she saw the orange sky giving way to purple, the burning sun sending out its last rays of the day and creating a picturesque scenery. And, among the shadows and red-tinted clouds, she saw them once more.
One by one, five faces appeared on the horizon, distinctly different from each other, yet harmonious together. They all had different smiles, and yet they were the same in that Twilight could see the love for her in them.
And so she softly smiled back at them, then teleported away in a flash. For once, she felt proud of herself.
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Congrats on the feature box, Sunlight!
10528579
Thank you! And thanks for adding this story to your favorites!
I just now found out that the plural for crisis is crises. I never knew that, lol.
10528586
Haha, same! I only knew that when Grammarly pointed that error out to me lol
You now have a tenth like!
AND STILL 0 DISLIKES?! Nice!
10528581
You're welcome!
10528589
lmao
10528592
Gotta say, I'm impressed too. I never expected this story to even hit the popular stories list, much less get to the feature box.
Couldn't resist. Love the story. Just kinda shocked Twilight only lasted 300 years. Was kinda hoping she'd go longer than that. Oh well. Least she won't be lonely.
Spike, Celestia, Luna, and I assume Cadance and Flurry Heart are still alive and well, will be there. And if she's really desperate, there's always Discord. You didn't say anything about those last three. So I'm assuming they're still fine.
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Haha, yeah, panicking makes both ponies and humans say or do stupid things in general. I can tell from both watching people panic and panicking myself.
If I'm being totally honest, I didn't have any particular reason as to why I set the number of years to three hundred. I merely selected a number that wasn't excessively long so that everything Twilight and her friends did would become a myth—like how the Tale of Nightmare Moon became after a thousand years—but also not too short since I wanted to give this story a sufficient time gap from the show's ending for Twilight to be reminiscing and cherishing her memories with her friends. So, all in all, it could've been even shorter like two hundred, or a bit longer like five hundred. Honestly, I don't think it wouldn't have mattered in either case; the story still would've made sense.
There are two reasons why Cadence, Flurry Heart, and Discord are not in this: one is that I didn't have enough space for character tags, and two is that I didn't want to cram so many characters into such a short story. If I put all three of them into this story on top of the four already existing, it would've been very hard for me to properly give characters the right amount of dialogue without making any of them a background pony, not to mention it would have become quite confusing to the reader. And you are quite correct; I assumed Cadence and Flurry Heart were busy ruling the Crystal Empire while Discord was off doing... whatever Discord does three hundred years after the show's over.
I'm super glad that you enjoyed this story and thanks for pointing out the vague plot points in the story! I appreciate that you took the time and effort for this.
Beautiful! It inspired a single tear to run down my face...
No, like literally. That actually happened.
10529192
Thanks for the praise! Inspiring people and delivering emotions like this is one of my goals when I write. Glad that you enjoyed the story, and thank you for reading!
No just no this can not and will not be a good ending the Six aged somewhat but they are all immortal. Word Of God decreed it so. Have Twily step down that's fine But the Six should be together when she does
10529410
Eh... hehe... whoops?
But for reals, thanks for reading my story, and thanks for favoriting it! Glad that you enjoyed it.
10529431
Don't get me wrong I know that word of God can't always make up for deficiencies in stories but in this case Lauren Faust said it while she was still working on the show. That's why I take it at face value she said that "Twilight would never lose her friends". I understand that most people would say that they were in her heart the whole time but no Lauren specifically said that they would never be lost and she was implying that they would be alive. I can understand the fact they aged could point to them dying at some point but I see it as they all had to grow into their immortality since Twilight was still growing into a full Alicorn. This would translate to ageing that the other elements went through as they're all connected, Twilight's immortality is a supposedly transitive property through that connection to the elements
Man this was just perfect, it’s always great to see fics where Twilight is happy even after her friends pass. This was truly a testament to the legacy I imagine Twilight and her friends leave behind. Nice work
10529445
Personally, I feel like that part is up to interpretation, especially on what defines "lost". I am a person who believes that if someone is remembered after their deaths for a long time along with their legacies, then that person still lives among us. Also, I felt like this was a more touching way of telling the story rather than to have the Mane 6 still around after three hundred years.
But like I said, it's up to how each person interprets it, so I would definitely say that your argument is just as valid as mine.
10529477
Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed this story!
10529494
Oh I still like the story but I disliked it due to you forgetting Starlight and Sunset
I liked this. The idea of Twilight dissolving monarchy when she'd feel Equestria is ready is something I totally see in FiM's future.
That still opens the question of what was done to replace this regime.
Did she discuss and write a democratic constitution with some of her ponies? Will she start going for various jobs after that? These two points could make interesting fanfics.
Ok, I think I saw plenty of fics where Princess Twilight get rid of the 'princess' title, be it no longer becoming an alicorn and what not, but this is the best~ Stepping down from her rule feels so natural instead of say, using some kind of magic to return to her friends or something.
I might ramble a bit, but I wonder if Twilight will get a successor? Or Equestria will use a new government system? I'm curious how a near perfect world (Or maybe even already perfect) will function, where everyone can very easily unify to solve a problem, or achieve an incredibly long period of peace, because realistically, that's something impossible to achieve.
Anyway, the fic surely brought up some interesting topics~ Bonus points for including Spike, sometimes people forgot about him
. Have a 9/10 
10529569
Nah, she just dumped the crown and left, Equestria will be fine, they've got friendship!
10529518
I mean I could've expanded it in a way the last scene includes every single character I could think of. I just chose not to since I wanted to focus on the six ponies that started it all.
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10529569
To answer both of your questions, I assumed that Twilight already finished preparations to hand power over to a democratic government, one ran by the people of Equestria themselves. Then she would step down and enjoy her life, doing whatever she wished to do with her friends.
And yes, that is certainly fertile grounds for additional fanfics, Black Hoof. Imagine the shenanigans that would've occurred while Twilight was writing the new constitution or trying to get a new job.
"But Ink Note, isn't Article 13-C contradictory to what was defined as "power" in Article 1-A?"
"...[deep sigh]"
10529592
Could jokingly imagine this with how often she and her friends needed to solve everyone's problems.
10529680
Preparing a constitution might indeed take some time
This also reminds me of a pretty good fanfic in which a mare stumbles upon the former princess Twilight, working as a company's associate director at that time. A story which I would totally imagine happening in the future of this one.
Then we can imagine Twilight, and the other princesses, using their long life to try various things. Imagine Celestia baker, Luna sportsmare, Twilight movie actress, ...
Don't mean to be an editing snob, but maybe remove one of these.
10529794
...dammit, Nexus. Too late, there's no fixing it now! >:)
10529798
I tried... Also, just read the story all the way through and the quality really shows. You've really improved this since the panic, and I really hope you publish some more of your lighter stuff eventually.
10529809
Only if you promise to publish yours! ;)
Interesting. One nitpick I would have that one does not 'resign' from a throne, one 'abdicates', but that's by the by.
I also find it interesting that you think Twilight would choose a democratic form of government for Equestria, when it seems that an aristocracy based on 'harmony'/'virtue'/'friendship' seems to have dominated for much of the history in it. (that in itself is an interesting form of democracy, where anyone can become 'special'/have authority, if they demonstrate the virtues)
For me, I still believe Twilight won't outlive her friends, alicorns too.
But it seems that so many fans fans like her being immortal. In my opinion, immortality will cause a lot of problems, it's a curse.
So, people love tears rather than smiles?
10531203
So I've noticed. It's a slight error I allowed myself to make to avoid repeating the word "abdication" too much in a short amount of word count. I would rather have a small error in the contents than to have the flow interrupted by a repetition of the same words.
Also, while I haven't thought about the specific political structure Equestria will have after Twilight's abdication, I thought that a democracy where everypony could voice their opinions and run the nation based on friendship would be the one Twilight would choose.
10531216
Well, we can't really tell for sure whether alicorns are immortal or not, because the examples from the show are too small of a number to make a general argument. Celestia and Luna seem to be virtually immortal as they have lived for 1000+ years, but that may be due to the magic of the Sun and Moon they are connected to. Cadence and Twilight are both young enough that not a single generation has passed since their ascension. So I just went ahead with the most common lore and set it that alicorns are immortal, while normal ponies are not. It was the best way to tell the story the way I wanted to, and also the best way of representing the legacy the Mane 6 left behind.
Also, while immortality most certainly can be a curse, it can be a gift provided that you have someone to be with during your lifetime.
And yes, some people certainly love sadfics, myself included.
Thank you. I needed to cry on my own terms today, and your work was a beautiful way to do it.
10594152
Aw.
gives hugs
Glad that my story could help you in any way. Also thanks for favoriting this story, and glad that you enjoyed it!
Hello SunlightRays.
Here is my review on your story above.
I hope you have fun writing the story with all of us in the Q&S server.
Sincerely,
Scoping Landscape.
10611690
Thanks for the review, Scoping! I'm super glad that you think highly of this work. Thanks for all the praise, and see you in Quills and Sofas!
Greetings, have a review!
i forgot I read this story and hurt myself again
And yes, I remember the story I just forgot the title