• Published 16th Feb 2013
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The Last Equestrian Princess - Dr_DeDeDe



This is the story of seven friends and the years that tried to keep them apart. Princess Twilight Sparkle has loved more and lost more than anypony else. At the end of everything she remembers all she learned from all the times she said goodbye.

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The Last Equestrian Princess

The Last Equestrian Princess

The relationship between Princess Celestia and her student never fully recovered from their long period of silence. This isn’t to say that they didn’t become friendly again; only that Twilight no longer looked at the elder princess with eyes full of adoration and obedience. The pedestal that Twilight had placed her teacher on had been well and truly demolished by Princess Celestia’s actions and all she could do was face the truth of Princess Celestia, the good and bad, on even footing.

This made instructing Twilight more challenging for Princess Celestia as her student no longer accepted everything she said as the canon truth. Twilight frequently challenged her assumptions, disagreed with her conclusions, and on several occasions the castle halls echoed with riotous academic arguments between princesses. For her part, Princess Celestia found Twilight’s newfound skepticism refreshing and even though Twilight often left her lessons frazzled and groaning in frustration, she had to admit it was…nice having a peer to argue magic with. So, despite the fact that her blood pressure spiked every time she met with Princess Celestia, Twilight kept coming back for the savage academic thrill that came from complex magical study. The intensity of Celestia’s lessons only increased as the elder princess led Twilight through a variety of subjects ranging from arcane spellcraft to the fundamentals of sealing charms to lessons on navigating the Equestrian bureaucracy to exercises in controlling the sun (to hone her magical focus of course).

Twilight Sparkle was, of course, not a complete idiot. She realized within a few weeks of her new studies with Celestia that she was preparing her for a greater role in ruling the country. Princess Celestia often asked Twilight to accompany her on various political appointments, pointing out the various customs and taboos observed by visiting gryphon dignitaries, showing her how to properly address the Neighponese kirin and introducing her to the Imperial Seapony Condense. At night, Princess Luna would plague Twilight with nightmares, pitting her against monsters and abominations attacking Equestria to see how she reacted. Princess Luna tutored Twilight on the basics of military strategy, inventing complicated tabletop games to help Twilight grasp the fundamentals of how battles were conducted. Pinkie Pie was more than happy to help Twilight practice by playing Princess Luna’s games with her and to Twilight’s surprise (and embarrassment) Pinkie Pie proved to be a wilier and more challenging opponent than even Princess Luna was.

If Princess Luna was a stern teacher, Rainbow Dash was a bloody taskmaster. Twilight had thought that learning to fly from one of her best friends was going to be a relaxing break from her other more challenging studies. She quickly learned that training with a Wonderbolt meant training like a Wonderbolt. Twilight never really appreciated the skill that such coordinated flying took until she was huffing and puffing behind Rainbow Dash trying desperately to keep up with the simplest of flight maneuvers. Rainbow Dash herself took her side job seriously and gave the fledgling princess no quarter in her workout, refusing to allow Twilight to slip up or cheat herself.

(In fact the first time Rainbow Dash caught Twilight trying to use magic to ease in her flight, she made her do wing sprints up and down the Canterlot University practice track until she couldn’t physically lift her wings. Needless to say, that was the last time Twilight tried to cheat her way through one of Rainbow Dash’s workouts.)

Weeks of practice quickly turned into months of study as Twilight became an even more competent sorceress and prudent leader. A few public appearances in Celestia’s place warmed the public to Twilight’s presence in the capitol. Newspapers reported on her less as a celebrity and more as a legitimate public figure. The downside of all this newfound attention and responsibility was that Twilight saw less and less of her friends than she would have liked. They all had their own responsibilities now and they all still lived in Ponyville together but Princess Celestia had kept so busy that she spent most of her time in the library sleeping. Without Spike to pick up the slack, books piled up unshelved, truant library charges went unpaid, and bit by bit Twilight’s sanctum of knowledge declined to the point where she was forced to consider hiring a part time librarian to manage the library in her absence. It was difficult to let the library go like that but Twilight was forced to accept the fact she no longer had the time to devote herself to her beloved books.

For that matter, Twilight had less time to devote to her friends than she would have liked. Although she was still nominally living in Ponyville, she spent the bulk of her time working with Princess Celestia in Canterlot. Even if she had remained in town, the rest of the girls were busy with their own affairs. Rainbow Dash had packed up and moved back to Cloudsdale to begin training with the Wonderbolts, Rarity was getting more and more orders as her designs started appearing in windows of Calterlot department stores and Applejack was finally starting to make Sweet Apple Acres profitable beyond the subsistence farming they had existed on since Applejack's parents were alive. Even Pinkie Pie had stepped up to run the Ponyville branch of Sugarcube Corner when the Cakes left to open a new branch in Fillydelphia. They made time for each other when they could, coordinating their increasingly complicated schedules to find even a few hours to see each other every other week. Twilight treasured these visits as they became fewer and farther between as her work with the Princess intensified and the few meetings she could go to were usually missing another one of her friends as their schedules invariably conflicted.

So when Princess Celestia asked if she would like to participate in the Summer Sun Celebration and if there was anypony she would like to invite, Twilight pounced on the opportunity as a special occasion to see all her friends in the same place at the same time


The afternoon following the Summer Sun Celebration found Twilight Sparkle walking the halls of the royal palace in an uneasy funk that hours of brooding had done nothing to solve.

The elder princess had invited Twilight to join her in the raising of the sun for the first time in public. Surprised and honored, Twilight invited all of her friends up to see her help Princess Celestia with the sun. After preparing for months, Twilight rose up into the sky, her magic charioteering the sun through the morning sky, only to turn around and see Princess Celestia standing firmly on the ground, looking up at her with pride. It was then that Twilight realized that she was all alone, soaring high above a crowd of awed onlookers with the sun at her back.

She had risen the sun herself.

It was so strange. Twilight could remember her first Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot, watching Princess Celestia rise into the sky with the sun illuminating her from behind. She remembered the fire that sunrise lit inside of her, possessing her with a burning desire to study magic in the faint hope that she might one day be worthy of the princess’ attention. Never, not even in her wildest fantasies, did she ever imagine herself taking hold of that great burning ball herself and rising above a crowd of awed onlookers while Princess Celestia looked on with pride. She looked down on her friends looking up at her with more awe than affection and Twilight suddenly became keenly and uncomfortably aware of the distance between them. For all their accomplishments and personal successes, they would never rise as high as Twilight. They would never feel the power of the sun coursing through their veins as onlookers all but worshipped them. For all their valor and bravery in the past, ponies would never kneel to them as they kneeled to her. No crowns would rest upon their heads, no palaces would be erected in their honor. As she rose higher and higher in the morning sky, Twilight was bludgeoned with the realization that her precious friends blended so easily into the faceless crowd of her subjects from so high in the air.

No matter how hard she had tried to go back to normal after her coronation, it had all been in vain. Twilight was more than her friends would ever be and that terrified her more than anything else. Today had put things in perspective; her coronation and ascension were milestones in her life to be sure but this was…different. It was the realization of a goal Twilight had never striven for; a dream she didn't know existed. It was the solidification of her position as a Princess of Equestria. It was the first time she ever truly felt like a princess and Twilight didn’t know how to feel about that.

And when she didn’t know how to feel about something, Twilight tended to lose herself in thought.

And when she got lost in thought, she tended to wander aimlessly until her head was clearer.

So when she was confronted with this burgeoning disquiet, she took to roaming the palace grounds in erratic loops and circles in an attempt to rationalize away her feelings.

Needless to say, it hadn't worked as well as she had hoped

It was half past two in the afternoon when Twilight’s muddied wanderings finally brought her past Princess Celestia’s private chambers. The door was cracked and Twilight could hear a faint string of conversation trickle out the door as she passed.

“….Twilight’s progress…” Luna’s voice said and Twilight paused in her worried wanderings to listen in on the princesses.

“I think today proves she’s more than ready on my end.” Princess Celestia said. “And from everything you’ve told me, she can raise the moon as well as you do.”

“Yes…though her starcraft is still somewhat lacking.” Princess Luna said. “She is hesitant to move the stars on her own; too preoccupied with the constellations that have always existed to even conceive that they could be arranged differently. I'm afraid your lack of imagination has rubbed off on her"

“Starcraft an acquired skill.” Princess Celestia said. “One she’ll have plenty of time to develop.”

You didn’t.” Princess Luna said. “I come back one thousand years later to find my stars scattered throughout the skies haphazardly or worse, in boring predictable patterns. No imagination, no creativity, no care.”

“Yes, well…it’s harder than it looks.” Princess Celestia said sheepishly.

“I should say so.” Princess Luna laughed. “Fortunately for both of us, Twilight has a better eye for aesthetics than you ever did, even if her ingenuity is lacking.”

“I don’t know if that’s fair to say, Luna.” Princess Celestia huffed childishly. “I don’t think my style is that bad-”

“You wear golden necklaces everywhere like an aging mobster, that crown you wore to Twilight’s Coronation was glitterier than Orion’s Belt, your dress was so loud I could hardly hear Princess Twilight’s speech over it-”

“Alright! I get it!” Princess Celestia said. “Did you really come all this way just to make fun of how I dress?”

“No…but as long as we’re here.” Princess Luna chuckled and Twilight heard a rustling of papers. “I want you to sign my papers and I think it’s a good idea if I sign yours.”

“Don’t trust your big sister to fill them out on her own?” Princess Celestia laughed.

“I just think it’ll look better if we both sign them.” Princess Luna said. “That way there’s no possible way they can be misconstrued.”

“The right ponies already have my documents.” Princess Celestia said. “With strict instructions not to open them until tomorrow morning. I thought you had done the same.”

“I think there should be a master set of all the pertinent orders and policy changes.” Princess Luna said. “In case any of the ponies you’ve entrusted to carry out your orders prove to be less trustworthy than you think they are.”

“I trust the Captain of the Guard and my cabinet members with my life.” Princess Celestia said firmly.

“Do you trust them with hers?” Princess Luna said.

There was a long pause.

“Alright…couldn’t hurt to have a spare set tucked away in case anypony attempts to make any…unauthorized changes to our instructions.” Princess Celestia said. "Though I doubt it will come to that."

There was a symphony of scribbling quills and ruffling papers as Princess Celestia signed whatever Princess Luna set before her.

“Are you ready then?” Princess Celestia said softly.

“More or less; there’s a few more things I need to take care of.” Princess Luna said. “Last minute projects I want to wrap up, gifts I want to give to Twilight…goodbyes to a few special ponies I’ve grown fond of.”

“I see…are you coming back?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Of course.” Princess Luna said. “Where else would I be?”

“Thank you.” Princess Celestia sighed. “It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? That this ride we’ve been on for so long is almost…we didn’t have enough time together, Luna. We could have had centuries together and we just…I’m sorry for that. I don't think I can ever say I'm sorry enough but I could have-”

“Could have, would have, should have.” Princess Luna interrupted. “None of that matters now.”

“I just want you to know that…if there’s a field on the other side of this forest, I’ll be waiting for you there.” Princess Celestia said.

“What makes you think you’re getting there first, you old nag?” Princess Luna laughed. "I've waited a thousand years for this and I'll be damned if I let my old crotchety sister beat me to it."

The sisters laughed and Princess Luna started heading for the door. Twilight backtracked down the hall to make it look like she was just coming up the corridor, pretending to casually bump into Princess Luna as she left the room.

“Twilight!” Princess Luna said. “How serendipitous; I was just going to look for you. My sister wanted to speak with you for a moment about the sunrise this morning.”

“Is everything alright?” Twilight asked. “I didn’t mess things up, did I?”

“Not at all; your mastery of the celestial bodies is impressive given how long you’ve been working with them.” Princess Luna said. “Your success with the Summer Sun Celebration this morning was extraordinary…Celestia just wants to have a little chat with you if you have the time.”

“Okay.” Twilight said. “Is there anything in particular she wanted to talk to me about?”

“No, she just…she needs to speak with you.” Princess Luna said. "I would appreciate it if you could make the time for her."

“Alright.” Twilight said, turning to go into Princess Celestia’s room.

“Twilight!” Twilight turned around as Princess Luna called her name.

“I just want to say…thank you.” Princess Luna said.

“For what?” Twilight said.

“Everything.” Princess Luna said awkwardly shuffling her hooves. “Just…everything you’ve done for me and my sister.”

“Y-you’re welcome, princess.” Twilight said uncertainly.

“I don’t know if it’s something I can ever properly thank you for but…”Princess Luna offered Twilight a shaky smile. “I am very glad that I lived long enough to meet you.”

And before Twilight could say anything else, Princess Luna set off down the corridor at a brisk pace and disappeared in a puff of silvery blue mist.

Bewildered, Twilight pushed the door to Celestia’s room open to find the princess lounging on a low couch near the balcony, reading a book and munching on a cupcake.

“Twilight!” Princess Celestia said, looking up from her book as Twilight closed the door behind her. “What a coincidence; I was just about to go looking for you.”

"I was just-" Twilight stopped as she noted the piles of empty pastry boxes smeared with frosting around Princess Celestia's couch. "Did you...don't tell me you ate all of that cake yourself!"

"It is a princess' prerogative to be spoiled and selfish every now and then." Princess Celestia said, popping the last of the cupcake in her mouth. "You should treat yourself more often; what's the point of wielding enormous power and responsibility if a girl can't have cake for breakfast when she feels like it? Would you like me to send for another box of cupcakes?"

“No thank you.” Twilight said, wrinkling her nose at the evidence of Celestia's "breakfast". “I was walking by and Princess Luna said you wanted to speak to me. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes, everything is fine.” Princess Celestia said, scooting over and patting the couch beside her. “I just wanted to talk to you about how the sunrise went this morning; come have a seat.”

“I thought it went pretty well, all things considered.” Twilight said, trotting over to the couch and flopping down beside the princess. “Was there anything I did wrong?”

“Not at all.” Princess Celestia said. “In fact, I wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic job done beautifully.”

“Thanks…I think it wobbled a bit coming up though.” Twilight said. “I think I still need more practice to get it right.”

“Has anypony ever told you that you are too modest for your own good?” Princess Celestia said. “One in a million unicorns could be capable of raising the sun and even fewer could manage it alone.”

“Yeah, especially considering I didn’t think I was going to do it alone.” Twilight said.

“I apologize for tricking you like that.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “But I have done my fair share of Summer Sun Celebrations and I thought it might be nice to just watch one for a change to see what all the fuss is about.”

“Everything you thought it would be?” Twilight asked.

“It has a certain…charm to it.” Princess Celestia said. “But I doubt I’ll be watching another one. Something about knowing how the sun rises and sets takes the charm out of watching it, unfortunately.”

“I can see what you mean.” Twilight chuckled. “Spike always said that breathing fire was only impressive to ponies because they weren’t the ones doing it. He likened it to bad heartburn coming up every time he spit fire.”

“Oh, I almost forgot to ask; how is Spike doing?” Princess Celestia said. “Have you heard from him lately?”

“He’s really taking to Neighpon better than I thought he would.” Twilight said.

“Did they get that dorm mix up sorted out or is he still staying in the ladies dorm?” Princess Celestia said.

“He’s still staying there.” Twilight said with a frown. “There’re a couple of other guys staying there too and truth be told his grades are still excellent so I’m not too worried about it.”

“So everything’s going well?” Princess Celestia asked.

“That’s what he said. He joined the kendo club, made some friends in the music club; heck, his friend even got appointed to the student council!”

“Good for him!” Princess Celestia said

“He even told me he was part of a special academic decathlon team.” Twilight said proudly

“Really?” Princess Celestia said.

“Yep. The…Special Extracurricular Education Squad or something like that; I’m not one hundred percent sure on the name. All I know is that he’s been staying at school late almost every night. Last time I called him it was just after midnight over there and his S.E.E.S club was just leaving school!”

No!” Princess Celestia gasped. “I heard that Neighponese schools were…intense but this seems a tad excessive, don’t you think?”

“That’s what I said, but he said that he had to “take responsibility for his actions” or something like that.” Twilight shrugged. “You know me; as long as his grades are good and he’s healthy and happy, I’m happy for him.”

“That’s good.” Princess Celestia said. “And your other friends? I understand you had them brought up for the celebration this morning. Did they enjoy it?”

“Yeah…they were impressed alright.” Twilight said.

“They must be so proud of you.” Princess Celestia said. “Not everypony can say that they knew the pony who raises the sun when she was just a librarian in Ponyville.”

“Uh-huh.” Twilight said distantly.

Princess Celestia studied her erstwhile student’s face with a troubled expression. “Something’s troubling you, isn’t it?”

“Is it that obvious?” Twilight admitted with a weak chuckle.

“I’ve been watching you wear a tread in the palace gardens for hours now.” Princess Celestia said, nodding to the balcony overlooking the palace grounds. “You always get fidgety when there’s something bothering you.”

“It’s nothing, really.” Twilight said dismissively. “I just have some personal junk I need to sort out.”

“You know I’ve always found that depersonalizing problems takes a lot of the edge off them.” Princess Celestia said. “And I’m an excellent listener.”

“It’s…forget it; you wouldn’t understand.” Twilight said.

“And how exactly do you know that?” Princess Celestia said. “Did you gain access to my innermost thoughts while I wasn’t paying attention? If you don’t want to tell me, Twilight, I perfectly understand but it looks as though you do want somepony to talk to if you don't mind me saying so.”

“It’s just…” Twilight let out a painfully held breath. “My friends were at the Summer Sun Celebration today.”

“Is that a problem?” Princess Celestia said. “I thought you went to great lengths to make sure they could all be here.”

“I did!” Twilight said. “And I’m really happy that they could make it but-”

But?” Princess Celestia said.

“They…they looked at me in a way I’ve never seen them look at me before.” Twilight said. “I looked down on them from up high and I saw the same...reverent awe on their faces that I saw on the faces of random ponies next to them. It was the same look I had on my face when I first saw you raise the sun all those years ago at my first Summer Sun Celebration. They didn’t look at me like I was Twilight anymore…they looked at me like I was Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“But you are Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Princess Celestia said.

“Not to them I wasn’t!” Twilight said. “As much as everything’s changed over the past years, they didn’t. They treated me like I was the same pony I always was.”

“But you’re not the same pony you were before your coronation.” Princess Celestia said. “You’ve changed in more ways than you realize.”

“But I could deal with those changes as long as my friends stayed the same!” Twilight said. “I could be Princess Twilight Sparkle for the rest of Equestria as long as I was just Twilight to them! But after today…I don’t know where we stand. Things are changing between us and I don’t want them to.”

“I see.” Princess Celestia said. “All you want is for your friendships to remain the same no matter what happens in your life, is that it?”

“Well...yeah.” Twilight said.

“Well…too bad.” Princess Celestia simply.

Too bad?!” Twilight said indignantly. “I come to you with a serious problem and all you can say to me is too bad?!”

“Twilight, do you deny that you have changed as a result of your princesshood?” Princess Celestia said.

“Of course I do!” Twilight said. “I’m-”

“The same pony you always were?” Princess Celestia chuckled. “With all due respect, Twilight, that’s simply not true. You have irrevocably changed in fundamental ways that have nothing to do with the crown on your head or the wings on your back. You’re older, wiser, and like it or not you hold sway over the lives of thousands of ponies. That has changed you, Twilight; there is no escaping that fact.”

“But what if I don’t want it to change me?” Twilight said. “What if I want to be the person I was before?”

“You can’t.” Princess Celestia said simply. “It is impossible to have seen the things you have seen and done the things you have done without being changed by your experiences. And like it or not, there are people who rely on the changes you’ve undergone.”

“Another burden of royalty you neglected to tell me about?” Twilight said bitterly.

“You think change is reserved for princesses and alicorns alone?” Princess Celestia said. “Tell me; do you think your relationship with your friends would have changed if you had never become a princess?”

“Of course it wouldn’t have!” Twilight insisted.

“Even when Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt?” Princess Celestia said. “Would your relationship with her remain exactly as it was before with her jetting around the country and thrilling thousands of fans across Equestria?”

“Well…fundamentally I think it wouldn’t have-”

“What about when your friend, Rarity, finally breaks into the fashion world?” Princess Celestia asked. “Because at this point, it’s only a matter of time before the airheads in the Canterlot fashion scene realize she’s been ahead of the curve for years and finally give her the attention she deserves. What happens when ponies come up to her on the street wearing her designs and asking for her autograph? What would happen if you were still a librarian and your friend was dressing movie stars and heads of state? Do you think your relationship would have changed then?”

“Why would it?” Twilight demanded.

“Because you are different ponies than you were before.” Princess Celestia said simply. “Even if things carried on in Ponyville exactly as they were before, you would have changed. You all would have changed. That’s what ponies do; they change…and change isn’t always bad.”

“You’ve achieved something today that you never thought you would.” Princess Celestia went on. “Moreover, your friends never knew you were capable of commanding such power until today. It’s natural for ponies to be in awe of that. You were.”

“I don’t want them to be in awe of me!” Twilight said. “I want them to be my friends!”

“They are your friends.” Princess Celestia said. “But you have power that is frankly amazing; I’m in awe of you right now. That doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes view you as my little student still; it just means that I’m impressed by the person you’ve become. The awe your friends look at you with is different than the awe other ponies feel for you, even if you don’t realize it. Your friends’ awe is born out of pride rather than simple hero-worship. They have stood beside you through thick and thin, sharing in your adventures and saving your life again and again.”

“And yet I’m the only one who got rewarded with a crown.” Twilight muttered.

“And I thought I made it clear to you that princesshood isn’t a reward.” Princess Celestia said. “Everypony has a part to play and none are greater than any other.”

Ha!” Twilight laughed.

“We only think it is because we are limited by the ideas that make up our society.” Princess Celestia said. “I have wings and can use magic that controls the sun but it was other ponies that decided that that somehow made me worthy of rule. Alicorns might just be freaks of nature, abominations to be hunted and destroyed, were it not for the power and prestige entrusted to us by other ponies. It’s completely arbitrary the way we stack roles and titles on top of one another, pretending that princesses are somehow better than stunt fliers or farmers or fashion designers.”

“But you said that being a princess made me different.” Twilight said.

“Yes, but I never said it made you greater.” Princess Celestia said. “Other ponies will undoubtedly think you are or try to convince you that you are but that does not make it so; always remember that.”

“I guess…” Twilight said sadly.

“I know things are changing quickly for you and it’s natural to cling to the familiar, however fleeting.” Princess Celestia said. “But your friendships are going to change now; it’s useless to try and stop it. The good news is you have some control over the ways in which they change.”

“How?” Twilight said.

“Talk to them.” Princess Celestia said. “Tell them what you told me. Chart the future of your friendship yourselves; don’t let it get blown around by happenstance and defined by what it isn’t anymore.”

“Alright…I’ll talk to them.” Twilight said. “It’s just…it’s going to be hard.”

“Anything worth having is had hard; you have to fight for what matters to you in this life.” Princess Celestia said. “But once you start fighting, it gets easier. That much I can say for certain.”

“I’ll see if they can meet for dinner tonight.” Twilight said. “And I’ll try and make more time for them outside of royal functions.”

“That’s all I can ask.” Princess Celestia said, returning to her book. “Take the time while you have it.”

“What’s that you’re reading?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing…just a very very old story my mother used to tell me when Luna and I were fillies.” Princess Celestia said.

“Your mother?” Twilight asked. “You…had a mother?”

“You’re surprised?” Princess Celestia laughed. “Did you think Luna and I just sprung out of holes in the ground?”

“Of course not!” Twilight said, blushing. “You just…never mentioned her before.”

“I haven’t?” Princess Celestia asked.

“Not once.” Twilight said. “Neither has Princess Luna, for that matter.”

“Hm…she must’ve slipped my mind.” Princess Celestia said distantly.

“Your mother just slipped your mind?” Twilight said. “Just like that?”

“It’s been more than nine-hundred years since I’ve seen her last.” Princess Celestia sighed. “Things just…slip away, I guess.”

“Like what?” Twilight said.

“Small things, like the sound of her voice…what she looked like…what she-”

“What she looked like is a small thing?!” Twilight interrupted.

“Surprisingly small in the grand scheme of things.” Princess Celestia said. “I think you’ll find that a pony’s appearance is one of the least important things about them.”

“I suppose…but if you can’t even remember her face, what do you remember?” Twilight asked.

“I remember…that she was a dreamer.” Princess Celestia said. “She was a great fan of great stories; storytelling might have been her talent, now that I think about it. It may seem odd to you today but when I was young, there weren’t too many great stories about fillies. The few that there were were silly and shallow; stories about schoolfillies giggling and swooning over stallions who won them like prizes.”

“Really?” Twilight said, trying to imagine a world where Daring Do or any of her other foalhood heroines were reduced to giggling trophies for stallions to win. “That is hard to believe.”

“Well, my mother was set on changing that.” Princess Celestia said. “She would weave the most fantastic stories…stories about a filly names Milky Way and her friends who fought evil throughout the galaxy…stories about three perfect little fillies dedicated to fighting crime and the forces of evil…stories about a special home that imaginary friends went to when foals grew tired of playing with them. Even after she left me, those stories stayed with me; they inspired me to live up to the heroes and heroines that gallantly galloped through her tales. It's because of those stories that I'm the person I am today. So…while I may not remember what she looked like or what she sounded like, I like to think that the best of her lives on in me through her stories.”

“She sounds incredible.” Twilight said. “Is that one of her stories you’re reading now?”

“No, not this one.” Princess Celestia said. “This is a story my mother’s mother told her…it was a very important story to the early Equestrians that tried to explain what happened to a pony after she died.”

“How do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Like what to do with her remains and how to properly bury her?”

“Yes…and no.” Princess Celestia said. “May I ask you a slightly personal question, Twilight?”

“Depends on the question.” Twilight replied glibly.

“Too true.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “What do you believe happens to a pony when they die?”

“Believe?” Twilight said. “Well…once a pony is buried her body returns to the earth and nourishes new life. Plants and animals and insects take energy from her remains and once they die, their remains go on to fuel newer life on and on until the end of time. Death begets life begets death begets life over and over again. So…even though somepony special to you may not be with you anymore, she’s still here in the grass and the trees and animals.”

“That’s rather cosmic of you, Twilight.” Princess Celestia. “I rarely see such…perspective from a mare of your age.”

“Thanks…I think.” Twilight chuckled.

“But what about the soul?” Princess Celestia asked.

“The soul?” Twilight said.

“Spirit, animus, quintessence, whatever you want to call it.” Princess Celestia clarified. “That which makes us…us.”

“Like…what happens to our, uh, “souls” after death?” Twilight asked. “Like some kind of afterlife?”

“Something like that.” Princess Celestia said.

“Like…ruled over by some kind of god or-”

“Not necessarily.” Princess Celestia said. “Just some form of existence beyond our physical deaths be it a land of reward for the good and punishment for the wicked or some kind of spiritual reincarnation where the soul is born again and again. What do you think?”

“Well…it’s certainly a nice idea but-” Twilight trailed off, not sure what to say.

“There isn’t any proof of it, is there?” Princess Celestia said.

“Well…no.” Twilight said. “Nothing concrete anyway…do you think there is?”

“I think I’m a very old pony.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “I think I’ve seen a lot of things in this world that make me wish very hard that good ponies that lived hard lives get rewarded and wicked creatures get punished by fate or the universe or something else beyond our comprehension. Part of me thinks it’s just a silly superstition left over from a time when ponies thought the wind and rain were angry gods to be appeased. But…at the same time…”

Princess Celestia looked thoughtfully out over the balcony at the teeming city below. “At the same time I’ve witnessed such incredible acts of courage, compassion, and love among the ponies of this world that a part of me believes that the soul or spirit of a pony is just…well…too big to just snuff out like a candle when their bodies stop working. That we’re more…luminous beings than the crude matter that makes up our bodies suggests we are.”

“Wow, that’s…an interesting point of view.” Twilight said lamely.

“But it’s not yours, is it?” Princess Celestia said. “That’s perfectly fine; I’m not trying to force my personal philosophy on you. I just ask because…well…brushes with mortality can sometimes make ponies more…philosophical about these things.”

“Oh…yeah.” Twilight said softly.

“You don’t ever hope that you might, one day, reunite with your brother and sister and Fluttershy?” Princess Celestia asked carefully.

“What I hope doesn’t really matter, does it?” Twilight said a little more bitterly than she intended to. “Nothing would make me happier than to have even one more conversation with Shiny or Fluttershy or Cadence…but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Believing in something doesn’t make it real.”

“That’s perfectly sound thinking.” Princess Celestia said. “But I might say, just to be argumentative, that we believe in things that aren't real every day

“Really?” Twilight said. “Like what?”

“Like friendship.” Princess Celestia said. “And loyalty and kindness and honesty and generosity and-”

“That’s not the same though!” Twilight said. “Those are all real things!”

“You think so?” Princess Celestia said.

“Of course!” Twilight said.

“Then go and show me one tiny grain of generosity or one little speck of honesty. Show me one physical shred of friendship that proves that it’s “real.” Princess Celestia said. “You can’t; they are, for lack of a better word, not real. They only become so when ponies like you and me put our trust in them.”

“That’s true, I suppose.” Twilight said. “But we can feel the effects of all those “not real” things here and now. We know they’re real because we experience them.”

“And nopony has experienced any kind of afterlife and come back to tell about it.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “I’m afraid you have me there, Twilight.”

“And yet…you still believe that there’s something waiting on the other side of all this?” Twilight said.

“After spending centuries watching literally billions of ponies born into this world, live, and die I believe that who we are is more than just the sum of our physical body parts.” Princess Celestia said. “And there’s a small part of us, shaped by everything we’ve seen and done in life, that survives our death…I believe that just as surely as I believe in love and friendship and magic.”

“What’s with the sudden fixation on mortality?” Twilight said. “It’s not like you to dwell on this kind of thing.”

“It’s not like me to talk about it.” Princess Celestia said. “But I’ve been dwelling on it long before you were ever born, Twilight…age gives you more than enough time to brood on what was and what might be.”

“So…this book.” Twilight said, trying to clumsily steer the conversation into less melancholy waters. “What’s it about?”

“It’s a story about a river, a swamp, a forest path, and a field.” Princess Celestia said.

“Sounds riveting.” Twilight said flatly.

“It’s more interesting than I made it sound.” Princess Celestia laughed. “Would you like to hear it?”

“Why not?” Twilight shrugged. “I have nothing better to do until later.”

“Oh, well thank you for deeming me so worthy of your attention, Your Highness.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “Alright…here we go. Once upon a time-”

“How original.” Twilight giggled.

“Hush!” Princess Celestia chuckled, lightly swatting Twilight with her wing. “As I was saying…Once upon a time, a young hero fell in the service of his liege lady and woke on the banks of a strange river, the way behind him closed.”

Princess Celestia turned the page and a small colored pencil drawing showed the lone figure standing on the banks of a raging black river.

The river was too wide to leap across and too fast to swim.” Princess Celestia read. “And any attempts to fly over the river caused a gust of wind to knock him out of the sky.”

“The hero was vexed for a moment, but then he noticed a large pile of smooth flat stones lying next to the river. With luck, he thought, there would be enough to build a bridge to cross the water.”

“As he began rolling the stones into the water, he noticed that on them were various memories etched in the stone. One stone showed him helping his elderly neighbor chop firewood, another depicted his heroism in battle. On each stone was etched a record of a kindness or good deed he had performed in his life. In his death, the same kindness was returned and the hero had enough stones to cross the river.”

“The hero journeyed on past the river and in time, he came to the edge of a foul swamp that stretched on in every direction ahead of him and to either side. Seeing no other way around it, the hero braced himself and began the slow, plodding journey through the muck.”

“As he trudged through the mud, his heart began to grow heavy and he felt his feet sink into the mud for though the knight had been virtuous, he was not perfect. The weight of his sins and mistakes in life weighed him down and soon he found himself falling deeper and deeper into the swamp.”

“The worse he felt, the further he sank until he finally had to confront the fact that he wasn’t perfect, that he failed and done bad things in his life, but that he was not a bad pony. He remembered his friends and family that loved him and all the lives he touched in life and slowly he felt his strength return to him. In forgiving himself, he rose from the muck and made his way to the other side of the swamp.”

“He traveled further, through valleys and over rocky mountains until he came to a dark and forbidding forest. As he walked the path through the forest, it became darker and murkier until he could only see a few feet in front of his face.”
“After a while, he came to a fork in the road. One path was lit by glorious sunshine and paved with glittering diamonds and ethereal voices of his friends and family begged him to return to life. The other path was cloudy and led further into the underbrush and back into the darkness. Though he was tempted to go down the sunny path, he knew that he was truly gone and nothing could change that fact. As he realized that, the sunny path fell away into a yawning chasm that would surely have swallowed his spirit if he attempted to return to life. Though the darker path was unknown, he treaded forth bravely until he passed through the forest and out the other side.”

Princess Celestia stopped suddenly and Twilight looked up her in confusion. “Is that it? That’s how the story ends?”

“That’s all we know for sure.” Princess Celestia said. “If there was an ending to the story other than this one, it has been lost to us for more than a thousand years. This was a story my mother told to me and even she didn’t know the ending.”

“So you just leave your audience hanging like that?” Twilight asked.

“Of course not.” Princess Celestia said. “It became tradition for storytellers to add their own ending to the story every time they told it. Some storytellers have the hero come to the end of the forest only to find nothing waiting for him but a yawning void that swallowed him whole. Some versions ended with the hero coming to a pool that reflected the face of a pony not yet born; the pony he would reincarnate into. Still others embellished the story further and claimed that the hero triumphed over death itself and ascended to divinity. I’ve heard this story told a thousand different ways and end a thousand different ways more. The ending is known to none and yet…everyone has a take on it.”

“What about you?” Twilight asked.

“Me?”

“You said it was tradition to end the story yourself.” Princess Celestia said.

“I…I don’t know.” Princess Celestia said. “Truth be told, I haven’t told this story in a long time…I almost forgot how I ended it.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have literally no frame of reference so if it’s a terrible ending, I have no way of knowing.” Twilight chuckled.

“Alright!” Princess Celestia laughed. “If you’re certain then.”

“It’s hardly a proper story without a proper ending.” Twilight said.

“Alright…”

“Coming out of the woods, the hero came to a grassy field as far as he could see. Sweet grass and alfalfa grew up to his knees and a light, cool breeze blew through his mane. All of the ache and heartache of life melted away and his spirit danced with newfound vigor. He came to a cool clear spring and as he bent down to drink from it, he saw familiar figures galloping towards him from across the field. As they got closer, he recognized old friends and treasured family members; ponies who left him years ago now returned to him in the prime of their youth, happier and healthier than he ever remembered seeing them in life.”

“The hero’s friends led him over a hill and into an eternity of days more splendid than the last. And as they danced and laughed and began the party that would never end, the hero knew he had come home at last.”

Princess Celestia closed the book with a sadly serene expression as the light from the fading sun softly illuminated her face. “The end.”

“That’s it, then?” Twilight said after a moment. “That’s how the story ends?”

“If I had a part in writing it…that’s how the story would end.” Princess Celestia said.

“Celestia is everything alright?” Twilight said suddenly. “You’ve been unusually-”The door opened behind them and the two princesses looked up to see Princess Luna enter the room.

“Alright, Celestia, nearly finished with my goodb-” Luna stopped as she caught sight of Twilight. “Oh, Twilight! I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were still here.”

“Twilight and I got to talking and I’m afraid we lost track of time.” Princess Celestia said. “Come sit a while with us, Luna. It’s almost time for sunset and I thought the three of us could watch it together…actually, I thought I’d ask Twilight to lower the sun today, seeing as she did such a wonderful job with the sunrise this morning.”

“Really?” Twilight said.

“What a coincidence; I thought I might ask her to set the moon on its nightly path for me.” Princess Luna said. “Would you care to assist me?”

“O-of course.” Twilight said. "I'd be happy to."

“Well then, you had best get to it.” Princess Celestia said with the barest hint of a quiver in her voice. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, will you take the sun for me today?”

“I…of course.” Twilight said. “I already said I-”

“And will you take the moon from me as well?” Princess Luna asked.

“Um…okay.” Twilight said, rising from the couch and stepping out onto the balcony. Princess Luna scooted closet to her sister who draped a wing over her shoulder and kissed her lightly on the brow. The two of them watched as Twilight rose into the air, lavender magic reaching out across the cosmos to seize control of the sun. Gritting her teeth in exertion, she slowly pulled the great blazing ball of fire down past the horizon and into the west. With that done, Twilight turned to the east to slowly lift the moon up over the horizon and into the sky as the night came alight with thousands of stars.

“I did it!” Twilight cried. “I did it! How’s that for celestial mechanics, Celestia…Celestia?”

A chilly gust of wind blew up from behind her and a cloud of white and blue feathers swirled past her. She turned back to the room and let out a small gasp at what she saw.

Four elegant, beautiful wings lay on the ground in front of the couch, feathers scattered across the polished marble floor. Twilight darted inside to see Celestia and Luna both resting on the couch, suddenly looking much older than any pony she had ever seen before. Deep lines wrinkled once pristine features; their manes had lost their glow and hung in stringy grey curtains around their shoulders but despite this, they had a look of incomparable relief on their faces. They looked like ponies who had died of thirst again and again only to finally be rewarded with a drink of water; so powerful was their relief and gratitude that Twilight nearly felt her heart break just looking at them.

“Twilight Sparkle…” Celestia sighed happily. “You wonderful mare…my faithful student...I'm afraid i have nothing more to teach you."

“What...what’s going on?!” Twilight said, swooping down to Celestia’s side. “What’s happening to you?!”

“Our time here is, at long long last, over.” Luna said.

“How can it be over?!” Twilight said. “You mean…you mean you’re-”

“The sun and moon do not serve two masters.” Celestia said. “Your skill has surpassed our own. We existed to pass our knowledge on to you and now that we have...the world has no need for us anymore.”

"That's not true!" Twilight cried. "I need you!"

"We have done for you all we can." Luna said. "You have surpassed every expectation we've had for you...and the heavens acknowledge your supremacy over ours."

“I’m only as good as I am because you two trained me to-” Twilight stopped as realization washed over her. “You…you planned this, didn’t you?!”

“I did.” Celestia admitted.

“How long?!” Twilight demanded. “How long have you been preparing me to take your place?!”

“Ever since that day at the school.” Celestia said. “I knew you would be the one to replace me…in all my years, I have never seen a unicorn who can do what you can do...I knew that you were the one I had been waiting for...and I was right. You brought my sister back to me...you saved Equestria more times than anypony else...there is no one worthier than you to take our place."

“Why?” Twilight sobbed. “Why didn’t you just tell me about all this?!”

“I didn’t know how you react…I was afraid.” Celestia said, breathing heavily. “After the funeral I was scared that…that you would never speak to me again. Scared that…you would never speak to me again. I had planned this for so long and we needed it so badly. So…I hid it from you like a shameful secret…I’m sorry it had to be this way but I couldn’t risk you abandoning us.”

“But why now?!” Twilight said. “Why did it have to be now?!”

“If it wasn’t you then…I worry about what might have happened to us.” Luna said. “Strange things happen to ponies who live unnaturally long lives…and we have lived longer than most.”

“I haven’t…I haven’t been good to you, Twilight, I know that.” Celestia sighed. “I yelled at you…ignored you…burned your friend’s cottage down in a fit of rage…I couldn’t control myself. I don’t know…I was afraid I would lose control some day and do something truly horrible.”

“You should have just told me!” Twilight said, bitterly blinking back tears. “Whatever this is, I could have helped you beat it! We could have overcome this together if you just-”

“There is nothing…nothing to overcome.” Luna wheezed heavily. “We are old, Twilight Sparkle. Age unseen is still age and we…we have aged too much. If we stayed any longer…I fear one day you would have to destroy us as monsters born of eons of existence. We couldn’t do that to you…”

“We have ruled well for more than a millennium.” Celestia said. “But all things have their end…and this is ours.”

“You can’t just leave me like this.” Twilight said softly. “I need you; both of you! I can’t…I can’t do this on my own!”

“Twilight Sparkle…always too modest for your own good.” Celestia chuckled weakly. “I have walked this world for more lives than I ever should have and I can say…beyond any shadow of a doubt…that you are the most capable mare I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. That doubt you feel…it’s all your imagination.”

“And you shall never be alone.” Luna said, stretching a shaky hoof out to cup Twilight’s face. “Keep those dearest to you nearest to your heart and remember our lessons well...remember that jealousy, anger and greed can poison your heart and rob you of precious time with the ones most important to you. Never put your prestige and your position over the ones you love.”

“Remember that being a princess…it’s just a job.” Celestia laughed softly. “A long and thankless job that ponies place too much value on. Change is inevitable but don’t…don’t let it change you too much. You are Twilight Sparkle…Princess of Magic and Savior of Equestria… but you're also the girl who can’t dance and loves her friends and reads adventure novels for children when she thinks nopony is looking. You can change as much as you want as long as you remember the girl whose biggest concern about being a princess was getting used to her wings.”

“I-I will.” Twilight said. “I promise I’ll never forget you as long as I live.”

“That is all we can ask for.” Luna sighed. “Believe in yourself, Twilight Sparkle, and there is no one who can oppose you.”

“Twilight…will you sit with us?” Celestia whispered. “Just for a little while?”

“Of course.” Twilight said, lifting herself up on the couch between the two sisters, Luna on her left and Celestia on her right. Luna laid her head across Twilight’s back and Celestia stretched her neck across to rest beside her sister. The sat like that for a while, close enough that Twilight could feel each princess’ faltering heartbeat against her withers.

“And may I…may I impose one final favor?” Celestia said feebly. “My eyes are…everything’s fuzzy now and I hoped you would read me a bedtime story.”

“A bedtime story?” Twilight laughed, wiping a tear away as she snatched the old weather worn book from the other side of the room. As it flew across, a small slip of paper dropped out and a tiny portrait lay illuminated by the light of the moon on the bedroom floor. The drawing showed a young white unicorn sitting on a throne surrounded by a small group of ponies; a large Earth pony with a great white shield, a willowy grey pegasus mare, a fierce looking pegasus colt in bronze armor, a lithe black earth pony in a white cloak and a small unicorn with a signature moon and star cutie mark. Around their necks were collars of gold and the unicorn in the center was crowned with a golden crown emblazoned with a glorious sun gem. The picture was old and very crude but Twilight could plainly see that she was looking on the original Elements of Harmony
.
“Princess,” Twilight said, gently passing the picture to Celestia who squinted at it in vain. “Is this-”

“A dusty old bookmark.” Celestia said, cradling the picture gently. “And a very old promise…Twilight…the story…”

Twilight didn’t have to ask which one. The spine of the book had been opened to the story so many times that it flopped open to the exact page as soon as Twilight set it down.

“Okay…bear with me, I’m not a great storyteller.” Twilight said.

“You can’t…be much worse than Celestia…” Luna chuckled softly.

“Keep it down, you old nag.” Celestia huffed with a smile. “Go on, Twilight…”

“Alright…once upon a time, a brave…a brave and beautiful princess woke on the edge of a raging river.”

“Beautiful?” Luna said. “Well…she can’t be talking about Celestia then, can she?”

“I could just…kill you right now, Luna.” Celestia laughed weakly. “Go on, Twilight…”

The princess came to a river that was too wide to fly over and too fast to swim across.” Twilight said, fighting to keep every word from quivering. “But on her side of the river, there were a pile of smooth f-flat stones, each etched with a good deed she had done in life. The…the princess had been so good to the ponies she ruled over that her pile of stones stretched up into the clear blue sky and out of sight. The biggest and best stones were each as wide as the river itself and the princess only needed one to get to the other side.

“Not…not bad, eh Luna?” Celestia said and Luna mumbled an unintelligible response.

O-on the other side of the river, the princess came to a wide and dark swamp.” Twilight said, pausing to choke a sob into her hoof and wipe her eyes. “The sw-swamp stretched as far as the eye could see and the p-princess had to walk through the awful, icky mud.”

“As she walked, she felt herself w-weighed down by the memory of all the awful things she thought she did in life.” Twilight continued. “But she…she wasn’t as bad of a pony as she thought she was. And eventually…she realized that. She might have done some bad things in life but she was a very good pony. And as she realized this, she unstuck herself from the m-mud and continued on her journey to the other side of the swamp.”

“A very good pony…she can’t be talking about me, can she Luna?” Celestia said, prodding her sister gently. “Right Luna…Luna?”

“Finally, the p-princess came to dark forest that swallowed the sunlight in its thick leaves.” Twilight continued as the soft heartbeat on her left faded to the point where she couldn’t feel it anymore. “The princess bravely pressed through the forest to a fork in the heart of the woods; one path leading further into the unknown and one path leading back to the world she had left behind.”

“Don’t you go before I do, Luna.” Celestia said, weakly nudging Luna’s motionless body. “Don’t you…don’t you leave me again...”

The princess was wise though.” Twilight said, not even bothering to stop to wipe the tears flowing down her cheeks. “She knew that…there was no going back and the road back to the familiar was a lie. So…so she steeled herself and pressed deeper into the unknown, even though…e-even though she was terrified to go.”

“Luna…”Celestia pleaded softly.

“The princess came through the forest and…and…” Twilight stopped as the story cut off short, waiting for her to finish. “Princess, there’s no more words…I-I don’t know what to say next.”

Put…the book down and…tell your own story.” Celestia whispered, each breath coming slower and with great difficulty.

Twilight turned to the blank page before her and closed the book with small sob.

This is…your story now.” Celestia said. “Now…how does it…end?

Twilight paused for a moment, took a deep steadying breath.

The princess came to a place where she was finally happy. It didn’t l-look like she thought it would and there were no green fields to run through but…but everypony she ever loved and lost was there waiting for her. They were young and smiling and…and though the princess thought they might b-be angry with her for what happened in the past…everything was forgiven. They were just so…so happy to see her again that they ran to her as fast as they could and threw her in the biggest group hug they could muster, hooves and legs tangled up in a big squishy pile. And they…they stayed like that for years, just holding on to one another and making up for the time they should have had with each other and when they…when they finally broke apart, the princess left with them, up over a hill and into a bright and beautiful horizon. A horizon…as bright as her sun…and they lived happily ever after in peace and harmony…The End. There…h-how’s that for a bedtime story Celestia…Celestia?”

The look of peace on the old princess’ face told Twilight all she needed to know. Postponing a wave of tears that would soon overwhelm her, she lightly stepped off the couch and gently moved the sisters so that they were sleeping next to each other, head pillowed on each other’s bodies like foals. She brushed a lock off Celestia’s face and bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek.

“Dear Princess Celestia…thank you so much for everything.” Twilight said. “Love always…your faithful student…Twilight Sparkle.”


Author's Note:

I'm going to miss writing Celestia and Luna. They dominated the forefront of this first act but from here on out, Twilight's on her own. I enjoyed writing them so much that I decided to start an AU revolving around them (A Glint of Light on Broken Glass; first three chapters are up). Apologies to Atreyu, Lauren Faust, Terry Pratchett and Yoda.

For those unclear about the alicorn power transfer process, Celestia and Luna clearly asked Twilight if she would take their jobs from them and she was both willing and able to command the sun and moon. The world didn't need Celestia and Luna to stick around so their age caught up with them and they died.


I originally intended this to be the last chapter of this act but the last scene was long enough to warrant its own chapter and didn't really mesh with the tone of this one. Expect it up sometime tomorrow

Comments and feedback are always appreciated! Like if you liked and dislike if you didn't and tell me what you think!