Seven days. Seven lives, each of which had a part to play in the end of the world. But through their efforts, the earth has a chance for a new beginning
When Equestria emerged from the ocean, our world was forever tainted by its presence. In response, our reality pushed back, forming the Barrier around us as far out as the Moon. Before the first year was out, the last day the Earth had was calculated. Measures were taken, the Bureaus were built, and billions were saved through the process of Conversion. Even mankind's genetic legacy was preserved. But now, the clock has almost reached its end. Just seven days remain, and seven individuals who influenced history must stop, and consider their role in shaping a planet's destiny.
There was something to be said about being up to watch the sun rise. He’d chosen the house accordingly, to have a clear view of the river at dawn. It wasn’t too big a home, though with only him living in it, it seemed empty.
“Well, here’s to another sunny day,” Tyler Foster muttered as the first line of gold broke the horizon. The sky was a mix of reds and yellows, rapidly turning to blue as the sun continued its climb. He ran a finger through some of the snow that coated the railing and winced as a patch stung his skin. “Figures. Doesn’t matter if human or pony, kids’ll still do what they can to bend the rules.”
Rubbing his hands together to ward off the cold, Tyler turned and walked back inside, heading for the bathroom first. Some topical anesthetic and a bandage later, he was in the kitchen pouring himself some coffee. He rolled his eyes as a slight breeze wafted through the kitchen. “You know, there’s a reason houses have front doors,” he remarked without turning around.
“Oh, but what would be the fun in that?” Princess Celestia replied with a laugh as she entered from the living room. The curtains were still settling from the displaced air of her teleport. “I still remember when that little trick could surprise you. Good morning, Tyler.”
“Good morning, Princess,” Tyler replied as he put the mug in the microwave. “And I got used to it after the second time. Really, the Service were the ones who hated it. Think you’ll go down in history as the only reason an agent requested to be transferred out of the Detail.” His grin faded as he watched the timer count down. “So, today’s the beginning of the week, huh?”
Celestia didn’t need to look at the calendar to know what week he was referring to. “I’m afraid so.” Her eyebrow lifted as she saw the bandage on his finger. “What’d you do to yourself this time?”
“Forgot to remember that the DC weather patrol keeps hiring kids to help regulate the wild weather. Snow on the railing had a bit of a sting to it this morning. Not really worth reporting.”
She nodded. “Are you still having the headaches?”
Tyler didn’t respond as he took his first sip of the coffee. He gestured toward the table, where a bottle of painkillers sat unopened. “They’ve never been the problem. What bothered me most was the dreams…”
“I had a talk with Luna about entering human dreamscapes,” Celestia said, her tone mildly defensive.
“It’s not Luna. Well, not anymore.” Tyler stared at the steam rising from his cup. “I don’t even remember what the dreams are about, except for little bits and feelings. The sun on your skin, the smell of fresh food, laughter…” He trailed off and took another sip.
Celestia sat down, adjusting her wings idly. “Tyler… why haven’t you Converted yet?”
He frowned. “Not this talk again, Celestia.”
“Yes, this talk again,” she replied sternly. “You’ve done far more than could be expected of anyone. The only humans left are the ones who are unwilling to convert, or those born through Thesan—”
“There’s still more I can do, more that—”
Celestia snorted. “I know what you’re really trying to atone for, Tyler, and it is not your fault.”
He glared at her. “I’m not in the mood for this talk again, Celestia.”
"No one could have expected anything more of you, Tyler. To be honest, I did not expect as much of you." Celestia seemed almost embarrassed as she glanced out the window. "But, time and again, you rose to prove why your species was worth saving, why-"
"Oh, cut the dramatic crap, Celestia," Tyler grumbled as the coffee began to taste sour. He poured the rest down the drain, watching as it swirled away. "We both know my contribution was minimal at best, except in getting to deal with the worst of it. History's only going to remember me for the St Louis Massacre, the East Coast serum bombings, the economic meltdowns..." he sighed, and started to pour himself another mug.
Celestia was silent, eyes distant as she stared out the window. “I don’t know what you studied of Equestrian history, but I’ve had my share of things I wish I could change or take back. Discord’s near-annihilation of the world, Luna’s fall into corruption…” she paused, sighing wistfully. “Sunset…”
“Who?” Tyler asked.
Celestia shook her head. “It’s not important. But, there is something I want to show you. Just give me a minute to put on something less… noticeable.”
Tyler blinked. “Wait, at least give me—” He was cut off as Celestia became encased in a soft white light. A second later it flashed brilliantly, filling the air with the stink of ozone as it disappeared.
“So, what do you think?” the orange and yellow unicorn standing in Celestia’s place asked cheerfully.
“I think you ought to at least warn me before you do that. You’re lucky I’m not blind,” Tyler grumbled as he rubbed his eyes irritably. “So, what do you want to show me?”
“Well, it’s a little ways down the street, as they say,” Celestia replied with a small smile. “Do you mind driving?”
Traffic was light as Tyler turned onto the highway. The engine growled as he pushed down on the gas, and he couldn’t help the smirk as the pony driver passing him twitched in surprise. “So, you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
“Nope,” Celestia replied with a grin. “Just keep going straight, I’ll tell you when we’re coming up on the exit.” She relaxed into the seat, looking out the window at the sun. “It’s going to feel strange taking control of it again. I actually got used to sleeping in every so often.”
“How’s that going to work, anyway?” Tyler asked.
“Twilight’s taking the lead on the spellcrafting, she says that the matrix will be ready in time. Luna’s assured me that the moon will not be a problem either, and I’ll take direct control of the Earth’s transition. We’re recruiting every unicorn we can find with enough magical power to contribute to the spell, so we should be ready.”
“Is that a note of uncertainty I hear?” Tyler asked jokingly, though as he glanced over at Celestia he saw the hint of a shadow cross her face. “This is going to work, right?”
“I have every confidence it will…” Celestia trailed off, staring out the windshield, “Just that nothing of this scale has ever been attempted before. So really, I suppose I can’t say for sure…” She sighed.
“Well, my old man had a saying: ‘Without faith, a man is nothing.’ And with as many ponies working on this as there are, it’ll work out,” Tyler reached over to clap Celestia on the shoulder. “Besides, you always told me friendship is magic. So don’t worry so much, you’ll get wrinkles.”
Celestia snorted and rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that formed. “Thank you, Tyler.” She tilted her head, idly scraping at the armrest with a hoof. “Think we can put the window down? Nothing quite beats feeling the wind in your mane.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Tyler replied as he lowered the window.
“Also, take the next exit,” Celestia said, beaming as she leaned out the window. Her eyes were closed, mane whipping back and forth.
“I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were channeling my old dog. Or one of the diamond dog converts,” Tyler remarked wryly as he turned the wheel.
Celestia winked as she relaxed back into the chair. “Woof woof.”
Tyler rolled his eyes as they rolled down the off-ramp. As he slowed down for the light, a sign jumped out of the clutter. “Wait, seriously? You’re taking us there, of all places?”
She rolled her eyes. “Can you really say that you’re surprised? I always liked visiting, and if you’ve not been recently, I think you’ll be happy to see how it’s changed.”
Tyler settled for a grunt as he turned to the left, following the signs until he drew to a stop in front of a large gate. An earth pony stallion trotted out of the guard station, lifting his head to peer in the window. “Good afternoon sir, welcome to the National Arboretum. Would you like to donate to help with the park?”
“Uhh, sure. One second.” Tyler pulled out his wallet and rummaged inside it. “Well, I don’t have a lot, just a five.” He handed the bill to the stallion, who tucked it into his saddlebag.
“That’s okay, every little bit helps!” he replied, smiling as he trotted back to the station. A second later the gate lifted and he leaned back outside. “Have a nice day!”
Tyler waved a hand as he drove through, and soon pulled into a parking space. “Alright, so we’re here. Now where to?”
“Oh no, not yet.” Celestia replied with a grin as she hopped to the pavement, shutting the door behind her. “Just follow me.”
Tyler sighed in resignation and walked after her, around the main building to where a large field spread out. He could see a group of children playing, their parents off to the side. Celestia led him to one of the benches at the edge, and sat down beside it. Taking a seat himself, Tyler watched the scene for a few minutes before glancing down at Celestia.
“Do you see the little filly there, Tyler? The one with the fuschia mane?” She asked, pointing with a hoof.
“Yeah. So, she’s why you brought me out here?”
“Well, yes and no,” she replied enigmatically. “You said earlier you feel like you need to do more, to make a bigger difference while you have time. But you’ve already impacted so many,” she turned to indicate the group of parents. “The mare over there with the turquoise coat is who I brought you here for. Her name is Roxanne Carmichael, and truth be told a more unremarkable pony you’d be hard pressed to find. Now, as you recall, the original plans for the Bureaus called for them to be sited in major cities. But you negotiated for more to be opened for the people who lived too far away. Roxanne was working in a diner as a waitress, barely making ends meet, and certainly unable to reach a major city.”
She smiled as Roxanne noticed her staring and waved, returning the gesture. “But, her town was chosen for one of the Bureau expansions, and two years after it opened, she decided to convert. During her time there, she met a boy, and I’m sure you can figure out how it went from there. They dated for the next two years, and then decided to have a foal.”
Tyler was silent, watching the children continue their game, until he felt a hoof touch his side.
“You want an example of the impact you’ve had? You’ve never met Roxanne, or even directly done anything for her. But because of something you did, she got the chance to meet the stallion she loves. And without their meeting, that foal would not exist today, Tyler. So don’t ever discount the effect one being has on the world.” She lowered her hoof and stood. “I do hope to see you again before week’s end.”
Tyler blinked, and found himself alone on the bench. Maybe Celestia had a point, that he’d done what he could. Maybe it was time for him to take that last step, instead of helping others to do so. But, he decided, there was time enough for that. It wasn’t often you got to sit and watch the sun rise on Earth’s last week. He leaned back, the sunlight banishing the February chill as he watched the kids play.
Star Dancer felt his wings burning as he steadily flew upward, the rain sheeting around him. Finally he broke through the stormclouds and into the sunlight. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes to get his bearings and just stared. The hurricane spun serenely below, only the flickers of lightning visible in the funnel giving away how violent it was.
“What’s the call, Star?” Thunderdrift shouted as he led the others up “Storm’s not gonna give us much more of a window. Freddy’s crew fired their flare on our way up, so we’re past the ten mile mark.”
Star thought frantically, muttering to himself as he watched the clouds spin. “Alright… need to control the rotation, and direction… but this hard a spin….” He whirled about to face Thunder. “If the rotation was slower, could you lead a control team and get this thing clear of the islands?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s going to slack off as it hits shallower water…” Thunder’s eyes widened as he realized what Star meant. “Star, that’s insane-”
“We’re out of time, Thunder! That’s the only way we’re going to break this thing open. I want you to take the others and get in position. I’ll make the opening,” he shouted, turning to get into position.
“Then you’re not going in solo,” Thunder retorted as he turned to the pegasi behind him. “Cloud, Blitz, Greg, Sara, and Ice. I want you to follow Star in, stick to his tail.”
“But-” Star fell silent as Thunder snorted.
“No buts. You know damn well charging into a storm like this alone is suicide, and you won’t make a dent. Now, you’re taking these five with you, and use the corkscrew formation. That should at least give you a shot of staying together.”
Star nodded. Once Thunder made up his mind, it wasn’t worth trying to change it. “Okay. Just be careful, okay?”
Thunder snorted again. “Please, we’ll be back before you are. Just bring your bits, you’ll be buying the drinks.”
“Fine, fine. But only if you’re back first.” Star turned to his five ‘volunteers’ as Thunder gathered the rest of the pegasi and dove through the clouds. “Okay everypony, gonna make this short. You all know what’s ahead of this storm. We’ve kept Hawaii clear of wild weather so far, and we’re not going to let anything change that. Not even a hurricane. Just stay close, keep the formation, and we’ll be fine.” He sized up the storm again. “Our entry point’s going to be there, at a fifty degree angle. Remember, don’t force it, just ride the wind I spin back to you.” He took a deep breath. “Everypony ready?”
“Sir, yes sir!” the others shouted.
“Good, glad to know someone around here is,” Star muttered half-seriously as he turned about. He heard the others taking up positions behind him as his wings tensed. He felt his heart racing, even as everything else seemed to slow down. “Okay, on my mark! Three! Two! One! Ma-!”
Star screamed, hooves flailing at the suffocating stuff surrounding him. A moment later, he realized that they were sheets and stopped, though he felt his lungs hiking in his chest.
“Doctor, he’s awake!” a voice called from the doorway. He blinked and saw an earth pony stallion looking down the hallway. A second later, the clatter of hooves on tile rang out and a unicorn stallion entered the room.
“Good morning, Star,” he said as he levitated a clipboard from the bed. “My name’s Deft Touch, and I’ve been taking care of you the past few days. I admit, we were starting to think you planned to sleep all week.”
“Wh-” Star coughed, his throat aching, “Where am I?”
“You’re at the Straub hospital, Star. We’ve been taking care of you since the storm.” He consulted the chart. “Can you tell me anything about what happened?”
Star squirmed to sit more upright, eyes closing as he thought. “Well, I led the corkscrew in, the rain was like a wall as we punched through-” his lungs started to hurt again, wings quivering.
“I need you to breathe, Star. Nice and easy, can you do that for me?” Deft asked, his magic wrapping around Star’s chest, helping his breathing slow. “There we go. If this is too much for you, we can take a break. You did get a nasty bump on the head, and those aren’t something we take lightly.”
“What… what hit me? There wasn’t anything else up there…” Star trailed off, pupils shrinking. “Oh no… how is everypony else? Did anypony get hurt?”
Deft shifted uncomfortably. “I shouldn’t say…”
“Please, you have to tell me!” Star half-shouted, breaking into another round of coughing as he sat up all the way. He wavered a little and Deft’s magic caught him, carefully easing him back against the pillows.
“Please, stay calm, there’s time to talk about that later. We need to make sure you don’t have any lasting symptoms from the concussion-” Deft repeated urgently.
“There were six, Star,” Thunderdrift interrupted as he hobbled into the doorway. His wings were completely bandaged, and a splint was attached to his foreleg. “It was Ice Kicker who whacked your noggin. “ He chuckled with a slight wheeze. “With her forehead, no less.”
“Then… who were the… the six?” Star asked quietly.
Thunder’s expression fell. “The rest of your team, and two from mine. They thought they could handle the crosswind and deviated from the path. By the time I realized it, was too late. As for your crew, a patch of wild lightning sprouted up right ahead of you.” His voice grew rough. “Least it was quick.”
Deft half-closed his eyes as he swept his magic over Star. “I’m going to go check on some other patients. The nurse will be by with some food for you later, then we’ll see how you feel, alright?” He trotted out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Star slumped, turning to look out the window. “This is all my fault, Thunder. Ever since the rift I’ve been jumping into things without thinking. I should have thought our formation through better, should have had a plan in place-”
Thunder slammed a hoof against the side of the bed, cutting Star off. “If I had a wing that weren’t broke I’d be breaking it over your head, you know that? Look, I’d have loved to see those ponies come home safe, but fact is sometimes you can’t know how it’s gonna play it. You got stuck with the short end, and made your call. It wasn’t a pretty call, and maybe it wasn’t the best. But if we’d waited any more, then the hurricane would have made landfall. And we’d be burying a hell of a lot more than six by now.”
Scowling, he jabbed a hoof at Star. “Now I’ve been workin’ with you for six years. You’ve always done right by your crews, and now more than ever they’re gonna need their chief to lead them forward. So don’t go all ‘woe is me’ now, alright?”
Star stared back, eyes hollow as he shuddered. Lowering his gaze to the sheets, he felt the tears coming on as he remembered all of the times he’d spent leading and having fun with ponies he’d never see again, who’d put their trust in him to keep them safe. Finally, he took a ragged breath and looked back to Thunder, nodding once.
“Good lad. Now, take it easy. There’s one last thing we got to do,” Thunder said, somber as he turned to leave. He paused at the door and his ear flicked. “Oh, and don’t eat the green stuff they call jello. Trust me.”
*****
Star flexed his hooves, extending his senses through the cloudstand as he firmed it up a bit more. He glanced to the left, where the six caskets rested on their enchanted stands. The turnout was impressive, clouds dragged in from across the island to give the pegasi seats. They’d even brought in one of the bigger airships to allow those without wings a chance to attend. Star sighed, closing his eyes as the breeze started to pick up. “I don’t know what to tell them, Thunder,” he whispered.
“So tell em straight,” Thunder replied. “Best way to tell it, far as I see it.” He nudged him, angling his head toward the horizon. “Sun’s almost on the horizon, let’s get this thing going.”
Star nodded and took a few steps forward, clearing his throat. He took one more look across the audience; his mom and dad, Princess Celestia with her old eyes, several Canterlot nobles and ambassadors all meeting his eyes. But his gaze lingered longest on his weather team, many of them still bandaged.
“I wanted to thank you all for coming. This… really means a lot to us. You all know the responsibility weatherponies have, and the long hours it brings, especially in a wild weather zone.” He could see many of the ponies nodding, and took a deep breath. “The tough part of a job like ours is that so many ponies think of it as simply pushing clouds around. Not to say a lot of the time the job isn’t exactly that, but anypony who’s had to wrangle a thundercloud knows the real risk.”
“It takes dedication to do this job, and the ponies who volunteer for this are some of the strongest ponies I know. The hurricane last week would have been enough to make anypony with sense run, but not one of our teams faltered. Not one of them took a step back, and we got the job done.” He felt his eyes burning, but forced through it. There was one last thing to do first.
“I know many of you here are newfoals, and there’s things about your heritage as pegasi that you’re still learning. Today, we honor those who fell against the weather through what is called a sky funeral.” He nodded to Thunderdrift, who came forward with a box on his back. “The sky funeral is something that’s been carried down from Old Pegasopolis, where the pegasi of the time often never set hoof on the ground.”
Thunderdrift opened the box as Star continued. “Tradition called for a single pinion to be taken from each of the fallen, to be sent on the wind to the Summerlands.” He turned and helped Thunder take out the six feathers. “I’d like for any of the Hawaiian Weather Team able to fly to come forward. We’ll provide the last wind to guide them home.”
Thunder took hold of the feathers as Star trotted forward, taking a position at the edge of the cloud. The sixty-two members of the team with working wings took off, moving into an impromptu formation behind him. He felt their reassurance behind him, and raised a hoof in signal. As one, the rest of the team began to beat their wings in unison as they coaxed the wind into motion. It swirled and tugged at the feathers in Thunder’s grip before yanking them free, spiraling them up and out toward the setting sun.
“Goodbye, those taken by the storm. May you ease the weather for those of us who come after, now and for all time hence,” Star whispered, finally letting his tears fall.
The overhead light buzzed quietly, throwing shadows over the two combatants below. Curtis frowned quietly as he weighed his options, trying to account for the moves his opponent might make. His chair squealed on the concrete floor as he shifted, the chains running from his wrist cuffs to their floor brackets clinking.
“Are you trying to bore me to death?” She asked, a sly grin on her face. “That would be a new strategy indeed, Curtis, though I suspect I’d win by heat death.”
“Shut up, I’m thinking,” Curtis replied with a scowl, though the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “I’m going to beat you this time.”
“I’ve heard that before,” Luna fired back as she shifted, her feline smirk only growing. “Today’s game marks what, fifty? Sixty times I’ve won? Most would have given in to the inevitable. Even my sister would be considering surrender.”
Curtis tuned her out and finally made a decision. He leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he reached out and took hold of one of the plastic pieces. He moved it forward, knocking its opponent aside. “Pawn captures F4.”
Luna swooned dramatically, an almost invisible tinge of azure magic scooping her fallen pawn up. “Alas, poor Midnight. He had a family of five foals. The house of Shadow is forever weakened by his demise!”
Curtis rolled his eyes. “I thought you said F4 was seized by the mighty and ruggedly handsome General Exemplar?”
“For shame, Curtis,” Luna proclaimed. “General Exemplar is no less than a bishop, properly placed beside his queen, ever ready to serve.”
“Isn’t he married?” Curtis asked idly, trying to mask a grin of his own.
“A mere trifle,” Luna shot back with a huff. “A mare can dream, can’t she? And it’s no crime to window shop, as they say.”
Luna tilted her head to the side, pondering her choices. “So how have you been, Curtis?”
“Well, y’know, pretty much the same as last week. Same off-white walls, same daily routine. The guards at least change on occasion. Typical prison. Kind of miss TV. How are things outside?”
“The usual. End of the world as we know it around the corner, my sister is assembling the largest conclave of unicorns in history to help ease Rejection, the occasional riot.” Luna leaned back. “Honestly, television gets somewhat repetitive. I dread the day it becomes widespread in Equestria.”
“It’s still not?” Curtis asked.
The two prison guards shared a mutual sigh of boredom. Even if the princess’ monthly visit served to break up the monotony of their jobs, they at least expected some heat to come out of the founder and former leader of the HLF. Especially when faced with one of the rulers of the nation he’d spent years opposing.
Luna’s ear flicked. “If you’d be so kind, might you give us the room?”
The two guards hesitated, their instincts to obey the implicit command warring with their sense of duty. The senior guard coughed weakly. “We understand you trust the prisoner, Princess, but there are rules, regulations. The warden needs to be informed before we can ju—
Luna held up a hoof. “I assure you, there will be no problem with your Warden. Curtis shall as always be a proper gentleman and a sore loser.” She smiled sympathetically. “I’ll make sure that the warden is aware of your dedication to duty before I leave. And if he ignores it and decides to relieve you anyway, I am sure such dedicated stallions could find work in any number of vocations.” Her grin turned playful and her tone conspiratorial. “I hear the Equestrian Security Forces are always hiring.”
The pair couldn’t help but roll their eyes at Luna’s remark, but they turned to leave regardless. The senior guard checked Curtis’ handcuffs, and snorted in satisfaction. “Now you remember your manners, Curtis.” He said, voice stern. “I don’t want to have to take your books away again.”
Curtis remained silent, and the two guards left the room. The door swung shut behind them with a heavy clang, and Luna visibly relaxed. “I swear, were they always so stiff-legged? I seem to remember them being much more relaxed my last visit.”
“Well, I suppose having the entire world holding its breath in anticipation of Rejection would stress anyone out,” Curtis said as he leaned back. “In any case, are you going to make your move? F4’s not going to retake itself.”
Luna chuckled. “Oh, F4 shall be mine eventually. But first, I think we need to loosen things up.” Her horn lit again, a thin skein of azure magic enveloping Curtis’ cuffs, and with a clatter of metal they fell to the floor. “There, much better.”
“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” Curtis grumbled. “Those handcuffs are there for a reason.”
“I understand, except that reason is a load of… well, you know the euphemism.” Luna contemplated her next move, carefully levitating one of her knights. “Knight to D5.”
“A decent move, though you won’t avenge What’s-His-Face.” Curtis scratched his neck as he weighed his options again.
Luna watched him, ear flicking idly. “So why haven’t you Converted, Curtis?”
Despite the question coming out of left field, Curtis didn’t flinch and moved another pawn forward. “Are you seriously asking me that again?”
“I am. There are enough options in Conversion now to allow even you satisfaction in the choices. You could even keep your thumbs,” she joked, though Curtis’ glare put an end to the humor.
“It was never about that, and I know you know it.” He stared at the board as another of her pieces moved. “I… I still can’t support giving myself up.”
Luna tilted her head. “We had that discussion a year ago. There’s nothing of yourself that you are giving up. Even taking into account the infinitesimal period where your essence undergoes the Conversion, you remain yourself. There are literally millions of results to stand as proof.”
“Would you do it?” Curtis toyed with one of his lost pieces. “If our positions were reversed, would you undergo something like this?”
“I would.” The corner of Luna’s mouth twitched. “I already have, as you well know.”
“Then you understand where my hesitation comes from, Princess. No matter how you cut it, change on that scale is never without sacrifice of something. And that’s where I draw the line.”
Luna nodded. “I apologize for bringing such heavy conversation into our friendly game.” She moved a bishop into place, consolidating a defensive position for her king.
“No, it’s okay.” Curtis narrowed his eyes as he reexamined the board. It was still early to tell, but he was starting to see a pattern to Luna’s strategy. He moved another pawn forward, freeing up a spot for his knight.
“In spite of everything you’ve done, Curtis, I still consider you a friend, and a good man. Flawed, certainly, and bearing more than a few sins, but good at heart.” Luna tilted her head before moving another piece.
Curtis had to fight not to show his growing excitement. Luna seemed to be slipping, or at least giving the appearance of it. He couldn’t afford to get too aggressive, so for the time being settled on continuing to trade pieces.
As the game continued, they became more and more focussed, leaning forward with each attack and back with each retreat, constantly sizing up the other for any sign of weakness. Sweat dripped from Curtis’s face, Luna’s mane roiled faster, and both players seemed hesitant to even breathe for the risk of breaking their concentration.
Finally, Curtis saw his window. One of his knights had a perfect move to spring right into the teeth of her defense. It was a risky move, but none of her pieces could move in time to prevent it from claiming checkmate. He lifted the piece and set it into position, barely keeping the grin from his face as he released it.
“Checkmate.”
Luna snorted as she looked the board over, eyes darting as she sought a way out. “Curtis, it’s far too early in our game to call check… mate…” She frowned, hesitantly lifting first one of her knights, then a bishop, and finally her queen. “No… it’s not possible…”
“Oh yes it is,” Curtis rose from his seat, grinning as he stretched his back. “Might’ve taken me a few years, but I finally beat you!” He turned, walking to the far wall to ease his sore legs. “I gotta admit, I didn’t think it’d work, but you gave me a window with my knight, so I took it.”
“You really did it,” Luna said quietly, her horn glowing as she lowered her king to its side. The board began to smolder as her magic flowed across it.
“Well, it did take me a couple hundred games to pull off, so don’t feel too bad.” Curtis stopped as acrid smoke stung his nose. “What the heck is smoking?” He turned around and felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.
The chess board was ablaze, tiny fires burning across its surface. But even more surprising, the face of the board had changed, squares replaced by what he realized was a map of the world. Looking closer, he could see many of the fires were sited on major cities, while others burned in random places. South America was the largest scar, with the entire northern half charred black. “Luna, what the hell are you doing?” He looked up, and was suddenly glad he’d used the restroom before her visit.
Empty white eyes stared back as Luna rose to her hooves, her mane whipping faster. “Showing you what you need to see, Curtis.” She gestured at the board. “You of all people should know, now if not already, the difference that one piece on the field can make. Especially those that don’t always move in straight lines.”
“I don’t understand, but you can’t be doing this! Guards, guards!” he shouted, running for the door and pounding on it.
“They can’t hear you, Curtis.” Luna’s voice was cold, her eyes glowing brighter as the smoke started to spread. “A darkness is coming, one that will not stop for anything. It cannot be bargained with, cannot be appeased or sated. It can only be resisted, and only if every piece is in play.”
“And is that what you think I am, just a piece for you to use?” Curtis turned to face her. “If this is some kind of trick, I am genuinely disappointed in you.”
“I told you earlier that you are a good man. Flawed, but good. And capable of moving in ways others cannot or will not. Such a man can have an impact far beyond himself, as you so aptly demonstrated.” Luna closed her eyes, the board abruptly back to normal, and her mane resumed its normal fluttering.
“So what the hell is the point of these theatrics?” Curtis stayed by the door, ready to try and open it.
“As I said, there are dark times coming. My sister hopes that peace will prevail, but my dreams tell me otherwise. You have already seen a small example of it, nearly seventeen years ago.”
Curtis thought for a few minutes, and his eyes widened. “Kinshasa… but there was never any trace of them since…”
“And they have kept themselves hidden well, biding their time. But make no mistake, Curtis, their time is coming.” Luna seemed for a second to waver, lines and wrinkles appearing on her face before it resumed its youthful appearance. “I hold to my promise not to force anyone to decide, but I would ask you as your friend, do not let yourself be blind to beyond today.” She carefully repacked the chess set, then walked toward him. “My time is up for this visit, Curtis.”
Curtis dumbly moved aside so she could leave. “Just what do you expect from me?”
She smiled faintly. “To do what you always have. What you think is right.”
Celestia stood calmly amidst the sea of lights and cameras. “Distinguished members of the United Nations, I am pleased to be able to tell you that our efforts with the Rejection spell array are ahead of schedule. Once Twilight Sparkle engraves the final runes, we will be ready.” She nodded her head as the United Kingdom ambassador raised a hoof. “Yes?”
“I know that this has been asked before, but do we have any new information to indicate this spell will work?”
“As much as I wish I could say yes, we don’t,” Celestia replied firmly. “I have faith in my student’s hard work, as well as that of the hundreds of ponies who’ve contributed their minds and skills to this project. I know that Equestria is asking much of this august body to take our words at face value, but I must ask all the same. We have done our best to include ponies from other nations in this undertaking, but unfortunately we still have much to accomplish to bring proper magical training to other countries.”
The UK delegate nodded and sat back onto his cushion, while other delegates clamored to have their questions answered.
Celestia raised a hoof, waiting until the hall was silent. “I understand you have many more questions, and I have charged Equestria’s ambassador, Duke Fancypants,” she gestured to the unicorn beside her, “with answering them to the best of his ability. But I must beg your leave, as there are preparations of my own that I must make before Rejection begins.” With a brilliant flash of golden light, she vanished from the stage.
Many delegates frowned, but sat in their seats nonetheless as the light from her teleport faded. Fancypants coughed lightly and moved to stand behind the lectern. “Yes, now, I believe I saw the paw for the delegate from Mongolia?”
Celestia sighed as she materialized in her chambers, her ceremonial garb floating off to rest on their stands. She turned toward one of the guards bowing by the door. “Could you be so kind as to let my sister know that I have returned, and will need to speak with her? She will know where to find me.”
“Of course, Princess, right away.” With a salute, the two galloped down the corridor, and Celestia smiled at their dedication. She left her chambers, turning down several hallways seemingly at random, nodding acknowledgement to the ponies she passed on the way. As she drew closer to her destination in the bowels of the castle, the number of ponies dwindled until she was finally alone. The hallway she stood in was ancient, carved from the natural stone instead of the imported marble, and only held one door. It loomed ahead of her, the dull runes inscribed into it still humming with power. As she approached, they briefly glowed in warning, but then her aura meshed with theirs and the defensive spells deactivated.
“Sister, you know as well as I that there is no time to speak with them yet,” Luna chided, stepping out of the shadows cast on the wall.
“We should have done so sooner, Luna,” Celestia replied, the nostalgia washing over her as she regarded the door. “They have as much right to be involved as we do.”
“And we’ve done what we can to ensure their representation among the Converted,” Luna pointed out, “but you know that with the mortal world having as little time as it does before Rejection begins, we cannot risk any temporal delays in going through the portal.”
“As usual, your counsel is correct, Luna, but—” Celestia paused as a faint tremor echoed around them. The stone remained unmoving, but the leylines that converged under the mountain shuddered, their flow disrupted. “Did you feel that?”
“Of course. It would seem that Rejection is as impatient to get this day over with as we are. Come, we must ensure that Twilight Sparkle is finished with the spell matrix.” Luna vanished back into the shadows.
Celestia closed her eyes and reached out for the familiar presence of her student’s aura. ”Right where it should be,” she thought, in the throne room, the proverbial central point of Equestria’s leyline network. She teleported again, this time emerging in the air to make sure she didn’t land on a rune by mistake.
“Princess Celestia, you’re back!” Twilight exclaimed, the sticks of chalk floating in her magic continuing their work as she trotted carefully over.
Celestia landed carefully in the circle designated for her, mindful not to smudge any of the lines and symbols surrounding it. The rest of the throne room floor fared little better, intricate patterns running to, and in places up, the walls. She smiled as she saw the other Element Bearers were already in their assigned places, their elements shining from around their necks. Arrayed around them stood fifty-two unicorns, almost universally from the School for Gifted Unicorns, though there were some from other nations who’d demonstrated the raw magical power necessary to aid the ritual.
“I am so very proud of the work you have done here, Twilight. Truly this circle is the equal of anything even Starswirl could envision, let alone cast.”
Twilight blushed at the praise, scuffing a hoof on the marble of her own circle. “Well, I did have one of the best teachers I could have asked for. And really, much of the matrix is repurposed from twenty years ago, so it was mostly the initiator and the director array that needed to be redesigned…” She trailed off as she realized she was rambling. “In any case, this was a team effort from everypony, not just me.”
Celestia’s smile only grew wider, seeing for a moment the precocious filly who had such talent but no skill at making friends, and the young mare who’d figured out the truth of her sister’s return all on her own. She opened her mouth to say more, but another leyline tremor shook the foundations. “Is everything ready, Twilight?” Celestia looked down, extending her senses to feel for the next tremor. “I fear we do not have much time remaining.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ve felt the leyline tremors too, and….” The chalk pieces drew a few more lines, then winked out of the room, “we are finished! Now, we just need Princess Luna to get into her designated circle and we can begin!”
“Then let us not tarry, Twilight,” Luna said as she arrived in a flash of azure light. “The tremors are already intensifying, and I can feel the material world starting to respond as well.” Almost to add emphasis to her words, the floor shivered slightly.
With a nervous swallow, Twilight looked to her friends. “Are you ready, girls?”
“You better bet on it!” Applejack exclaimed, stamping her hoof.
“Absolutely, darling, ready to follow your lead!” Rarity chimed in.
Fluttershy nodded, mumbling something which sounded like acknowledgement.
Rainbow Dash grinned. “I was born ready!”
Pinkie Pie nodded, her usual smile somewhat muted as a wave of twitches and shivers ran through her body. “Ready-Freddy, Twilight! Though my Pinkie Sense is going haywire, so there’s one heck of a doozy coming!”
Twilight couldn’t help the smile. “You’re definitely not wrong, Pinkie.” She took one more look around the room to ensure everypony was in their proper place. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, check. Her brother and her friends, check. Spike, safe behind a triple-redundant barrier to make sure no stray energies hit him, check. The other unicorns she’d evaluated, check. “Okay, everything checks out, the runes are all placed correctly, everypony is in position.” She took a deep breath, her magic welling up with her exhale as she focused on the initial rune in the chain, right at her hooves.
As her energy poured into it, a soft glow suffused it, spilling over into the other runes as the first began to resonate. The chain reaction spread slowly at first, but as the amplifier runes began to exponentially increase the energy, it began illuminating the entire throne room.
The glow reached Rarity first, and her horn ignited almost on reflex, adding her energy to the steady flow. It quickly reached the other element bearers, the light beginning to take on a rainbow hue as their stones resonated with each other.
“That’s it, girls, just keep it going,” Twilight urged, her senses almost fully occupied with directing the flow of power. She could feel each flare in magic as the energy reached each member of the ritual, their own unique energies identifying them as clear as day. Her brother’s resonated with his desire to keep his loved ones and country safe, while Cadance’s shone with her connection to the primal magic of love. Her friends all resonated almost as one entity, underpinned by their unshakeable faith in each other and her.
The throne room was glowing brightly now, too bright to be directly observed. Even Spike had to cover his eyes as the power spilled out of the castle, practically racing along leylines to the corners of Equestria. Everywhere the lines ran, ponies, diamond dogs, humans, griffons, zebras, all gathered to wish those at the center their best.
At the center of the ritual, Twilight was enveloped in light, her mane and tail whipping in the ethereal winds as the spell started to wind in on itself. This was the key to the casting, to provide the initial charge, and much like winding a spring, to start drawing the power in on itself to recast it through the same runes. As her small-scale experiments had proven, and her two years of theory work with the other unicorns at the School suggested, this would exponentially amplify the spell’s power, allowing it to set up a continuous rebound. This in turn would allow her to extend its influence around the entire globe, acting as a net to draw it through the rift and back into Equestria’s dimension.
It was as the energy hit what should have been the critical point to begin rebounding that Twilight noticed something was wrong. The energy just wasn’t increasing quick enough. “Come on everypony, we can do this! Give it everything you can!” The aura around her horn doubled in brightness, it’s light so bright she could see it through her eyelids. Sweat was forming on her face, but the energy swirling across her swept it away before it got into her eyes.
Celestia, Luna and Cadance all nodded, pouring even more of their power into the spell. The temperature started to fluctuate as heat and cold clashed, while everypony present felt the surge of love from Cadance.
And yet, it still wasn’t enough. Twilight frantically crunched through her runes, the layers upon layers she’d interwoven flashing by in her head. It didn’t make sense, the power should be there—
”Come on, we can do this!” Rainbow Dash’s voice suddenly echoed. Twilight glanced up in surprise, only to see her friend’s teeth gritted, red light flowing from the element around her neck.
”It’s just a little magic, I can spare more!” Rarity’s voice chimed in, and this time Twilight saw that her lips weren’t moving at all.
Realization hit her like lightning. It was uncommon, but some unicorns had documented hearing scattered thoughts and emotions from others in collaborative magic of sufficient scale. And there had never been a spell on this scale cast before. She could practically feel her friends’ minds, their wills working to drive the spell—
The storm of thoughts in her head stopped, a single idea occupying all of her concentration. She could feel her friends’ wills. Theories that shouldn’t have been thought in books that shouldn’t have been written, which were not locked in the forbidden archives, which a certain overcurious mare shouldn’t have read, came to mind. Spells which would allow a pony to dominate the mind and will of another, directing it to their purpose as if it were their own…
”Well, it’s not quite what its creator intended, since it’d be a voluntary joining of minds,” Twilight thought as she reached out through the spell, a rush of bubbly happiness filling her as she brushed against Pinkie’s consciousness. ”Pinkie?” she asked hesitantly.
”Ooooh, this feels weird, Twilight! Also, I don’t know much about magic, but something feels strange, but not the fun strange like when you get an all-body shiver, or when eating pickle flavored ice cream—”
”Yes Pinkie, you’re right. The spell isn’t working, and we don’t have much time left. But I’ve got an idea. It’s risky, but—”
”Go for it!” Pinkie replied immediately. ”I trust you, Twilight.”
Twilight felt tears being whisked away by the roiling energy, and she took a deep breath, steadying herself for what she was about to do. ”Okay Pinkie, just relax, I’m ninety percent sure I know what I’m doing.” She reached out further with her will and enveloped Pinkie’s into her own.
Abruptly she felt the energy around them stabilize slightly, now moving with a singular purpose. New calculations ran through her head, and she felt a thrill of happiness as she and Pinkie both came to the same conclusion. Of course the spell wasn’t quite working right, even though she and everypony else involved were working toward the same goal, they were just out of sync enough to throw it off.
”Girls, everypony, I think I’ve got it. I need you all to trust me.” She reached out further, grasping for each of her friends. Applejack’s determination, Rainbow Dash’s fearlessness, Fluttershy’s compassion, Rarity’s selflessness, they all filled her as she began to direct their efforts into the spell.
Celestia frowned as the energies shifted. “Twilight, what are you…” A twinge of horror took root. “Twilight, you can’t…”
Her mentor’s words went unheard as Twilight continued to stretch herself, now adding the minds of the others to her growing network. She still felt alright, considering she was one will directing fifty-seven others. Extending her new magical muscle into the leylines, she could feel them growing, extending beyond Equestria’s borders. The spillover of magic that had covered Hawaii was the barest tip of the iceberg, she realized.
She didn’t have the words to describe it. She’d practiced expanding or restricting leylines as part of her advanced studies, but to feel new leyline growth, worming through the crust of the world as they branched out for the concentrations of life on the other continents… it was sublime. She briefly wondered if Starswirl had felt the same way during the reconstruction of Equestria after Discord had been sealed.
Then the leylines hit the Japanese coast.
Twilight shuddered as the energy of the spell surged, the leylines branching out along random yet natural flow lines through the ground. Above ground, she started to feel the minds of the populace, their hope for the spell to work as the sky burned with impossibly colored fire.
It was almost too easy: reach out with the energy, coiling power around their minds, her stretched awareness reassuring those afraid of the presence intruding on their thoughts.
”Please, everyone, we can do this, all of us together!” Twilight shouted inside her own head, teeth gritted as the leylines hit the United States. She could feel the clawing of thousands, millions of minds as she wrestled to bring them all into herself. ”I know you’re afraid, but this. will.WORK!”
“Twilight, stop!” Celestia shouted, withdrawing from the spell enough to open her eyes. The throne room was engulfed in solid white light, enough to blind any mortal who dared look, but she could make out the form of her student.
Twilight’s body was suspended in the grip of the spell, her coat blazing white with the power coursing through it, mane aflame with the excess energy. Her eyes were wide open, two white orbs gazing into nothing.
Celestia tried to take a step forward, the runes crackling and hissing as she neared the edge of the circle.
“Twilight!” The cry was faint, but Celestia’s head snapped around as she realized Spike was still in the room, the shielding spells peeling back before her eyes.
“Forgive me, Spike,” she whispered as she teleported him from the room. Turning back to Twilight, she took another step forward, the spell pushing against her.
“Sister, you must remain still!” Luna shouted as she continued to pour energy into the spell.
“I can’t let her do this, Luna!” Celestia cried, head bowed against the ethereal wind. “She’ll be destroyed!”
“They’ll all die if you break that circle now! There is no going back, you know that as well as I, as well as Twilight does! The only thing we can do now is to put our faith in her and help see this to the end!”
Celestia nearly took the next step, had to fight against every instinct she had to not break the circle. Finally, with a cry of despair she dove back into the spell. The sheer scale of what greeted her staggered her. The leylines had reached all the way around the globe, magic pouring into the planet to its core. She could feel billions of pinpricks, all the inhabitants of the world coordinating as one to direct the influx of energy.
And spread thinly across the ‘top’ of it all was Twilight’s mind, frayed at the edges, but guiding the spell all the same.
T-Twilight?” she asked, a slight chill running down her spine as Twilight’s consciousness turned its focus toward her slightly, mirrored by all the minds joined to her.
It’s beautiful, Celestia. Can you feel it? So much intricacy, all the subtle changes taking hold…” Her voice grew fainter as the leylines began connecting on the opposite side of the world. The planet shone with eldritch light as a foreign reality asserted itself over what had held sway since its creation.
”Twilight, you have to let go now! It’s too much for a mortal mind, even yours!” Celestia begged, trying to spread her consciousness overtop of Twilight’s. She could feel Luna’s silent shouting behind her, but paid it no mind, summoning more of her power. She’d bring herself fully into the mortal world if she had to.
”Celestia, I—” Twilight’s voice suddenly vanished, absorbed into the maelstrom of consciousness. For a single instant, the entire world was truly unified, every pony, dog, griffon, human linked as one.
And the spell was complete.
The Curiosity rover had waited in its last directed position, cameras dutifully aimed where its final instructions had indicated. It was forced to recalculate for the sudden increase in illumination from the second sun that briefly shone in the sky, though the light soon diminished and returned to normal.
It continued to record and store information, unknowing and uncaring that it would never receive another command from its makers.
Celestia grimaced as the spell unraveled around her, the energy dissipated back into the aether. She shook her head as the last of the light vanished, and looked around the throne room. Luna stood quietly in her circle, mane almost completely gone, with what was left hanging limp. Everypony else lay unconscious on the floor, though the Element bearers were starting to stir. Cadance had already crossed to Shining Armor’s side, a flickering pink light surrounding his head as she assessed his condition.
“Sister,” Luna said quietly, her voice strained.
Celestia didn’t want to look, didn’t want to confirm what her heart already knew. But she looked anyway.
The array had been built with sixty-two circles, one for each of the participants in the spell.
Sixty-one circles were currently occupied. At the heart of the array, the sixty-second stood empty, save for a pattern burned into the stone.
Chapter 5: Celestia and Twilight February 27th, 2053 The Day of Rejection
Everything was fire.
Wait, no, that was wrong. Wherever she was, there was no air for fire to burn. But all the same, Twilight Sparkle burned. Nothing so mundane as her physical flesh and bone, she dimly realized. That had been disintegrated in the last seconds of the spell—
She doubled over as another jolt of power thundered through and around her, the maelstrom stripping pieces of her essence free as she tumbled head over hooves. She flailed about in an attempt to right herself, and only succeeded in tearing off one of her… forelegs? Watching it blankly, she felt that it should hurt for some reason, but it didn’t. Her mind felt hazy, the roaring in her ears worsening with every second. Or was it hours?
”Twilight!” Celestia’s scream suddenly echoed in her mind, and it was like a door slamming open. Logic began working overtime to impose itself on the illogical that she drifted in, and with a straining whinny she began to exert her will on her detached limb. She was Twilight Sparkle, and she’d walk into Tartarus to kick Cerberus in all three faces before she let any spell beat her!
Gradually, the leg wriggled back towards its owner, tendrils of purple light emerging from her stump to reattach it in place. She checked her other three legs and fought back panic as she felt that pieces of them were fading from her existence as well. She gritted her teeth and fixed the image of what she was supposed to look like at her core, even as another burst of impossibility washed over her. This time it was ants, jaws snapping at her memories.
Celestia paced anxiously, ethereal mane whipping wildly as she tried to think of what to do. It was a decidedly unpleasant feeling for her, given the breadth of her experience.
At the far end of the hall, Twilight’s friends and family were huddled in shared grief. Luna was with them, but after she met Celestia’s gaze she excused herself and trotted over.
“It shouldn’t have been her, Luna,” Celestia whispered once her sister was close enough. “It should have been—“
“Celestia, sister, I know you are speaking from grief, but I will not have you dishonor Twilight’s sacrifice by completing that sentence.”
Celestia bristled, her mane starting to smolder with sullen heat. “It was not Twilight’s time, she had such potential…”
Luna stood her ground, expression cool. “Twilight chose this, Celestia. She knew the risks of the spell, but she also knew what was at stake. It pains me to say it, but I daresay I knew more of the potential she carried than even you did. When the Elements cleansed me of the Nightmare’s poison, I felt that, given the right circumstances, she might even be capable of ascension.” She blinked. “Sister… did you…?”
Abruptly, Celestia’s mane calmed, and her knees felt weak. “It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said, voice weak.
Luna opened her mouth, though whether to console or berate her sister would remain unknown as all three alicorns felt a brief tingle of magic. Not even enough to warrant an afterthought, yet there all the same.
“Twilight?” Celestia asked, not daring to acknowledge the spark of hope that ignited in her heart.
Across the hall, Cadance spoke quickly with Shining Armor, Spike and the Element bearers. Everypony froze for a moment, then the entire group was stampeding across the room.
“What happened?” “What do you mean Twilight’s here?” Where is she?” “She better be okay!” The shouts came one right after the other, the worry plain as day on all their faces.
“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s voice boomed, cutting short the deluge of questions. “I'm sorry. I know that you are as worried for Twilight’s well-being as we are. But time is extremely short and we must act quickly if she is to be saved.”
“My sister is correct, even if she needs to practice her royal voice.” Luna flicked her ears. “Sister, will you go?”
Celestia’s body was already glowing a soft white, her eyes somber. “Of course… If I can, I’ll bring her back to us…” In a pulse of light, she dissolved into a cloud of glowing dust which quickly dissipated.
Applejack was the first to get her jaw off the floor. “What in tarnation does she mean ‘if’?”
Luna opened her mouth, but Cadance spoke first. “She means that where Twilight is… is the place ponies go when they… pass on. It’s… difficult to explain, but the very nature of that place is to ease ponies into the Great Herd, and it would take an unbelievably powerful will to be able to resist it for even a short time.”
“So how come the Princess can go?” Rainbow demanded.
Luna frowned at the spot her sister had occupied. “My sister, Cadance and myself are not normal ponies… Even more than what we show through our existence here in this world. Due to the nature of our powers, the majority of our essence must actually exist outside of the world, or… like my sister and I, otherwise be separated.”
“That just don’t make a lick of sense!” Applejack protested. “Then where is the rest of you and Celestia at?”
Luna didn’t reply and simply looked up.
Applejack followed her gaze, squinting as the sun emerged from behind some clouds.
“Oh.”
Celestia shuddered as she materialized, the rest of her self pouring into her. Her awareness spread through the space she floated in, soothing and calming the maelstrom into her usual meditation platform…
Only to encounter a wall.
She frowned, bringing her senses to bear on the object. It wasn’t a wall, she realized, but a sphere, formed of adamant and hope, of friendship and sheer power. She extended a hoof toward it, only for a violent surge of magic to knock her back.
A voice echoed from within the sphere, overlapping with itself, but unmistakable all the same. ”STAY AWAY!”
“Twilight, it’s me, Celestia!” Her wonder at her student’s survival quickly turned to fear as she gingerly probed the sphere. “That sphere is killing you!”
“It’s draining your soul to keep itself intact, but before long it’ll consume you to nothingness! You won’t even enter the Great Herd!” Celestia pressed closer, her power clashing with the sphere.
”WHAT DO I DO? iT HURtS So BadLY MaKe it STOP!” Twilight’s presence wavered, and for a moment Celestia feared it would collapse, but it stabilized a heartbeat later.
What should she tell her? There was no magic that Twilight could cast that would work, and without a physical shell on hand, Celestia couldn’t transfer her soul into it. Even if there were, the amount of raw power still clinging to Twilight from Rejection would vaporize a good deal of the surrounding area…
“Twilight, I have an idea. I cannot promise it will work, only that it gives you a chance.” She took a deep breath. “You must let it in, the power you wielded while connected to the Rejection spell array.”
”wHAt? hoW hOw WiLL thAt help HELP?” Twilight asked, the sphere’s surface rippling as the etheric storm began to intensify.
Celestia struggled to keep her footing. “Twilight, if it works, you may ascend… you’d become like myself, like Luna and Cadance.”
”But BUT I I I…” Twilight’s voice was lost as the howl of energy grew to ear-shattering levels.
”TWILIGHT! YOU MUST CHOOSE! DO NOT BE AFRAID!” Celestia shouted as the storm knocked her backward. As she tumbled, she saw the sphere condensing further, starting to take the vaguest equine form. ’That’s it, Twilight. I have faith in you.’
In a flash of light, Celestia emerged into the material world, shedding fire and magic as the bulk of herself remained behind. With a crash she struck the wall of the throne room, melting a half-circle into it.
“Sister!” Luna shouted, moving at once to her side. “What happened? Is Twilight Sparkle still with us?” The others waited anxiously for her response.
“I… I told her all I could in the time I had. Whether she survives now is up to her…”
It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts so bad make it stop…
Round and round her head, or at least what she thought was her head, Twilight’s slowly degrading mind tried to keep itself together. Despite her best efforts, pieces of herself were sloughing off into the void, and she couldn’t contain it all while maintaining her core.
What was it Celestia had said? It felt like an eon had passed in the seconds since her mentor had been blown out of the space. She could still feel traces of Celestia’s power, her mantle, fading into the wind.
“To live, I must choose.” The words rang clear as a bell in her head, and briefly, the storm subsided. Twilight seized on it, feeling energy welling up not only inside her, but from the area around her. Celestia had said that she might ascend, become like her…
Realization struck: When Celestia had entered the void-space, her presence had ballooned in strength, almost as if that extra self was held outside of the material world. Given her connection to the sun, it made sense. Luna and Cadance would therefore operate under similar conditions, and if that were the case, the by logical extension…
As Twilight’s mind raced through her thought processes, she didn’t notice the storm of power around her calming, transforming. Gradually, it became a whirlpool, centering around her nugget of consciousness. She felt her limbs and horn reforming, surprised that she’d not even noticed their loss. Next came organs and bones and flesh, her body filling out again as she slowly put herself back together…
The throne room was as silent as a tomb, Spike and the Element Bearers sleeping on cots that had been brought in. Cadance and Shining Armor had retired to their own chambers for the night. Celestia and Luna had maintained their vigil over the star mark burned into the floor, leaving only to ensure the sun and moon traded places successfully. It was a novel experience for the two of them, having a spherical world to move their respective celestial bodies around.
“I still say sooner rather than later,” Luna argued. “It’d only take a minor adjusting of physics, maybe some minor tidal disruptions, but it solves the problems a spherical world presents.”
Celestia couldn’t help the small smile. “Or we could just be less lazy and keep the sun and moon present at all times and keep them in rotation. Honestly, I’d not have expected you to give up having a moon that wasn’t a physiothaumatic object.”
Luna grumbled, but smiled too. “I suppose I shall weigh its merits. It admittedly would come in handy to have a vacation castle away from any beggars and supplicants.”
“Don’t call our subjects that!” Celestia snorted in amusement. She sighed. “It’s been too long, hasn’t it?”
Luna nodded, her expression downcast. “I am afraid so. From what you told me, Twilight came closer than any mortal could be expected...” she trailed off as the wind began to pick up. “Do you feel that?”
Celestia’s ears pricked up, an inaudible ringing pressing in on her skull. “Could it be…?” Realizing the Element Bearers were still present, she quickly cast a shielding spell around them.
The ringing continued to build in intensity, and before long the floor and walls were vibrating. Spike was the first to feel it, instantly bounding to his feet. “What’s happening?” He raised his snout, sniffing at the air as the wind began to blow harder. “Twilight?”
The Element Bearers were not far behind him, their exhaustion quickly leaving them as the air began to crackle with static electricity. The shield kept it from affecting their fur, much to Rarity’s relief, but the wind soon had their manes whipping violently.
In the center of the throne room, a point of light appeared. Tinged with purple and dark pink flecks, it pulsed like a heart, slowly growing brighter and brighter with each beat. “Is… is that…?” Rarity whispered, captivated by the glow.
Suddenly, the light thud-thudded before it exploded into a six-pointed star, casting the entire room in deep purple light. Everypony except for Celestia and Luna had to shield their eyes, while the alicorns stared intently as a curled form became visible within.
Celestia held her breath as the light began to fade, the equine shape inside falling softly to its hooves. As the braziers replaced the purple glow with their normal light, Twilight shakily rose to her hooves. “T-Twilight? Is it truly you?”
The question was, for the most part, rhetorical. It was definitely Twilight Sparkle standing in front of her, but the differences quickly presented themselves. Her coat was more lustrous, not quite like the crystal ponies of old, but there was a definite ripple of magic running through it. Her mane was much the same, but it did not wave in etheric wind like Celestia’s or Luna’s. The biggest change was in her presence: She simply oozed magic, almost the equivalent of a leyline well.
Twilight blinked, long and slow, almost a test that her eyes in fact worked. She similarly stretched out her legs, her neck, her wings— She froze simultaneously with everypony else present, staring incredulously at her new appendages. “Wait, I have wings?”
And thus were spoken the first words of a newborn goddess.
