Set one-billion years in the future, the children of Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight rule the new generation of Equestria.
Set one-billion years in the future, the children of Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight rule the new generation of Equestria. The descendants of the Mane Six served as the guardians of Equestria while the heirs learned the ways of magic, but one day, they disappeared without a trace. The young heirs decide to form new elements, just in case something happens, but things don't go as expected. On top of that, they stumble upon a magic mirror and Equestria is put in danger. If the new elements don't stop the evil from spreading, Equestria could fall. Forever.
Princess Blue Embers, Princess Tranquil Skies, and Princess Lunares were waiting in the throne room for their cousins, Crystal Shield, Heart Wing, and Precious Jewel, called the Crystal Guardians, to arrive. Night Wing, Lunares' personal bodyguard, was standing in the shadows, closely watching Lunares as she looked down at her hooves. Princess Blue Embers and Princess Tranquil Skies, or the Celestial Sisters, decided to form new elements, since the descendants of the Mane Six had disappeared, and Equestria had lost one of its main sources of protection. However, they needed the approval of all the princesses of Equestria in order to form new elements to be the new guardians of Equestria.
"When are our cousins coming? Tranquil Skies asked her older sister. "We've been waiting for a while now."
"Be patient, Sky." Blue Embers replied. "They should be here soon."
The Royal Fanfare of the Crystal Empire played as a guard announced, "Princess Crystal Shield, Princess Heart Wing, and Princess Precious Jewel have arrived!"
Two guards opened the doors to let the Princesses of the Crystal Empire into the room. But before the three entered the room, Crystal Shield scolded the announcer, "It's General Crystal Shield, not princess."
Precious Jewel whispered to him, "J-just Precious Jewel is f-fine…"
Heart Wing gleefully shouted, "Just call us the Crystal Guardians next time!"
"My apologies, Crystal Guardians." The announcer bowed.
"Girls!" Sky said as she ran to greet them.
"Sky!" Heart Wing said as she hugged Sky.
"Greetings, Tranquil Skies." Crystal Shield said as she took off her helmet.
"Why are you always so serious, Crystal?" Heart teased.
Blue Embers stood up and went to greet them, but Lunares remained on her throne. Blue Embers went on her knees so she could speak eye to eye with Precious Jewel. Embers asked her, "How's my favorite Crystal Pony doing?"
"I'm d-doing fine…" Jewel replied, blushing.
"Well, I guess we're a bit early!" Heart said. "Glowing Starlight isn't even here yet! And she's the most punctual pony I've ever met!"
Sky froze. "Oh no. Did we forget to send Star a letter?!" She panicked.
"No, you didn't!" A voice said from behind them. The princesses turned around to see Glowing Starlight at the door.
"Star!" Sky said with relief as she hugged Star. "I'm so glad you're here!"
"Sky over here thought she forgot to send you a letter." Heart commented.
Starlight giggled.
"Keeping your armor as shiny as always, I see." Star said to Crystal, smirking.
Crystal sighed. "Can we just get down to business?" She grumbled.
"Of course." Blue Embers replied. She summoned up four thrones for her cousins and a table in the middle of them.
As everypony sat down, Precious Jewel went up to Lunares and cuddled with her. Lunares smiled a bit and hugged her.
"Ahem. Now, as everypony knows, my sister and I have called you here to discuss the new elements and their bearers that will be acting as the new guardians of Equestria. For you all know, the Guardians of Equestria have vanished, and every search party sent has come back empty-hooved..." Embers started sadly. "Anyway, does anypony have any objections to forming new elements?"
The room was silent.
"Okay, good! We have no objections." Sky said happily. "So, should the element bearers be normal ponies or ponies of importance?"
"I think the element bearers should be normal ponies because if they were important ponies, then whenever they went off to defend Equestria, they would have to leave their position." Crystal stated. "I couldn't be a princess and a general because whenever I had to train new recruits or go off to fight, I would leave the Crystal Empire in anarchy. But I also think that when the ponies are chosen to be the element bearers, they should go through special training."
"Now, we need to chose what elements the bearers will be representing." Embers continued.
"Not to mention how we're gonna make them and how we're gonna choose the bearers to represent the elements!" Sky added.
"I know! Once we make the elements, we could throw a big party with everypony in Equestria there! Then we could see who the elements react to!" Heart suggested.
"Everypony in Equestria?!" Star panicked. "Do you know how much planning that gathering would take?!"
"If we all worked together, it think we could do it…" Jewel volunteered as Lunares braided her hair.
"Do we have to throw a party?" Crystal complained. "I hate parities…"
"Oh… Okay then…" Jewel stuttered as she shrunk into her seat.
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Jewel." Embers complemented as she shot Crystal a look of disapproval.
"Okay, the party will be in three days and it will be held in the ballroom." Star said as she summoned up a checklist and quill. "Blue Embers can work on the invitations, Heart Wing can work on the decorations and food, Crystal Shield can work on the security, Tranquil Skies can work on the music, and I will work on making sure nothing goes wrong."
Starlight looked at Lunares and Precious Jewel.
"Umm… I guess Lunares and Precious Jewel can… umm… just hang out?" Starlight suggested unsurely.
Lunares nodded.
"Okay then…" Jewel said quietly.
"Okay everypony, we only have three days, so let's plan this party!"
Everypony cheered.
"They're forgetting what elements they are going to chose and how they will even make them." Lunares thought, but she refrained from saying anything.
"Why don't you say something?" Night Wing telepathically asked Lunares.
"They wouldn't care." Lunares replied.
"But the night of the party could turn into chaos!" A voice said. "All these ponies, putting their work aside, traveling far from home, will be disappointed when they find out they came to Canterlot for nothing."
"Who wouldn't want to stay in the palace for a night?" Lunares backlashed. "Besides, one of my cousins surely will have noticed before the night of the party."
"If you say so…"Night Wing replied, unsure of Lunares' decision.
"And… Done!" Starlight said with satisfaction as she checked off the last box on her checklist. "Everything for the party is ready! Invitations were sent, decorations and food are in place, security is good, and the music is ready! The party will be on time. Now, all there is to do now is to to display the elements."
"What do you mean we don't have the elements?!" Starlight demanded.
"I mean, we forgot to make them!" Sky replied. "Oh well."
"Oh well?! OH WELL?! THE ENITRE KINGDOM OF EQUESTRIA IS STAYING IN THE CASTLE, THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE PARTY HAS JUST BEEN DESTROYED, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS OH WELL?!" Starlight shouted, infuriated. Her mane turned into a blazing purple fire. Tranquil Skies shielded her eyes from Starlight as Lunares summoned up a pair of sunglasses and put them on.
The throne room door burst open and Blue Embers, Crystal Shield, Heart Wing, and Precious Jewel walked into the room.
"There you three are!" Heart greeted them. "I was wondering where you…"
She trailed off as Star turned around and glared at her.
"Avert your eyes!" Heart shouted as she covered Jewel's eyes.
"What in Equestria is going on?" Embers asked, confused.
"Stand back." Crystal ordered them as summoned up a forcefield around Starlight, only to see Jewel inside the forcefield with Star.
"Jewel! What are you doing?!" Crystal shouted, worried.
"It's okay, sis." Jewel assured her sister. "It's not like Star is going to hurt us."
Jewel summoned up a bucket up water and poured it on Star. She returned back to normal, gasping.
"W-what happened?" Star stuttered.
"When me and my sisters came into the room, you were on fire!" Jewel explained.
Star gasped. "The Elements!"
Crystal lowered the forcefield and ran to hug Jewel. "Don't you EVER do that again! I was so worried…"
Sky teleported in front of Embers. "We forgot to make the elements!"
"Oh dear. I guess we have to send everypony home…" Embers decided.
"No, she doesn't." Lunares thought. "It's my fault that they forgot the elements, so I'm gonna fix it!"
"Yay! You agree with me for once!" A voice said.
Night Wing, who was watching Lunares the whole time, raised an eyebrow.
A bright light glowed from Lunares' horn as she started conjuring up a spell.
"Lunares, what are you doing?!" Sky shouted, covering her eyes.
"Uuu.. ahh…." Lunares said, struggling to keep the spell going.
The bright light flashed all around the room, and everything went white.
Lunares woke up and opened her eyes. She appeared to be in a blue plane with light particles floating everywhere. Uh-oh. She had transported all of her cousins to the Time Plane!
Lunares heard groans from everypony else as they started to wake up.
"Ugh… Where are we?" Sky groaned.
"Stand your guard." Crystal ordered. "We don't know what monsters could be here."
"I think this place looks pretty cool!" Heart commented as she looked around.
"We should stay together." Embers suggested. "Just in case."
"Hey look, it's you, sis!" Jewel called out to Crystal as she pointed at one of the pictures on the side of the plane. At the top of the picture, she saw Crystal's cutie mark, which was a violet shield emblazoned with the Crystal Heart. "Just a little bit… younger! And there's Heart, Star, Embers, Sky, and me, too!" She said while looking at all the other pictures on the side of the plane.
"Where did those come from?" Starlight questioned. "They weren't there a second ago!"
Crystal walked up to the picture. It suddenly started moving. "Hey… this was the time I got my cutie mark!" Crystal said as she looked at the moving picture. "But this happened about 100 million years ago…"
Everypony gathered around the moving picture as it replayed the time Crystal got her cutie mark.
"Do you have to go fight on my 12th birthday?" Crystal asked her parents.
"Sorry sweetie, but the Crystal Guard needs us. They are slowly being overwhelmed by the enemy." Shining Armor explained.
"But don't worry! We'll be back in time for the party!" Cadence reassured her daughter.
"Okay… " Crystal replied quietly.
Shining Armor and Cadence hugged their daughter. "We love you!"
"I love you too, mommy and daddy…" Crystal said as she squeezed them as tight as she could.
Crystal let go of them and said goodbye.
"I need to make sure that mommy and daddy will be safe out on the battlefield!" Crystal thought as she ran to her room. She closed the door and locked it. Crystal took out a magic mirror that her mom had given her last year. "Whenever you need us, just look through the mirror, and you will know where we are."
Crystal looked through the mirror. Her mom and dad were at the front lines. They were trying to advance to the enemy base. Crystal closed her eyes whenever they killed a pony. They were almost at the base, when…
"Agh!" Cadence and Shining Armor cried as the collapsed on the snowy ground beneath them. The snow around them turned crimson red. One of the ponies had stabbed them on their sides.
"Mom! Dad!" Crystal cried. She watched in horror as the troops surrounded them and started to beat them. "I have to do something!" She decided. Crystal unlocked her bedroom door and flew as fast as she could to the battlefield. "I hope I'm not too late…"
Crystal reached the battlefield and searched for her parents. Once she had spotted them, she landed in front of them and summoned up a crystal dome around them.
"Mom… Dad…. Are you okay?" Crystal choked.
Cadence opened her eyes. "C-Crystal? Is that…" Cadence coughed and spit out blood.
"You're going to bleed to death!" Crystal cried. She tried to use healing magic, but she couldn't focus with all the chaos happening around her.
Ponies had started breaking through the crystal dome.
"No!" Crystal replied, panting. "It'll work! I just have to try harder!"
The ponies had almost broken through the dome.
"Crystal…" Cadence wheezed. "Save… yoursel…"
Cadence coughed up blood once again and closed her eyes.
"Mom… Dad… No…" Crystal muttered as she collapsed to her knees. "No…" Crystal threw herself onto her parents, tears streaming down her face. "No! I won't leave you here to die!" Crystal cried. "If the enemy is going to kill you, they'll have to kill me first!"
The dome had been completely destroyed. As ponies charged in to finish off the Crystal Family, Crystal braced herself, preparing to be killed. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded Crystal and brought her up into the air as the enemy ponies covered their eyes. Crystal felt a surge of energy pump through her body. With righteous anger, Crystal wiped out the entire enemy fleet and destroyed their base. She was then lowered back onto the ground. Crystal stood in front of her parents, who were still on the ground, cold and lifeless. She hung her head in shame, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"I wiped out an entire army by myself and protected the Crystal Empire, but I couldn't save my own parents…"
However, to Crystal's surprise, Cadence and Shining Armor got up, their wounds healed. The snow beneath them was no longer crimson red, but as white as the clouds above them. Overjoyed, Crystal went up to her parents and hugged them tightly.
"Mom! Dad! You're both okay!" Crystal exclaimed.
"Yes, yes we are!" Cadence replied.
"I know, b-but how?" Crystal questioned. "I s-saw you g-get stabbed!"
"We were unconscious, but suddenly, we woke up and all the pain was gone! As if we were never stabbed in the first place! Then we saw you take out the entire army all by yourself!" Shining replied.
"Y-you saw me do that?" Crystal said, blushing.
"Yes we did!" Cadence replied. "And we are so proud of you for saving us!"
Cadence looked at Crystal and gasped.
"W-what's wrong, mom?" Crystal asked, her voice quavering.
"You got your cutie mark!" Cadence replied.
Crystal gasped.
"I-I did?! What is it?!"
"It's a violet shield, shaped like your fathers', with the Crystal Heart in the middle of it!" Cadence said excitedly.
"So cool!" Crystal exclaimed.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" Shining Armor said. "Crystal, what do you want for your birthday?"
"I… I… I want to be a Crystal Guard!"
"And then I became the general of the Crystal Guard." Crystal finished.
"Wow…" Crystal's other sisters gaped. The marveled at their sister who had taken out an entire army single-hoofedly.
"You're so awesome, Crystal!" Sky complemented.
"I never knew it was you who saved the Crystal Empire 100 million years ago…" Embers stated.
"Yeah. I didn't want the Crystal Ponies to be afraid of me, so I asked my parents to not have it written down." Crystal replied.
"Why would they be afraid of you?" Jewel asked.
"If they didn't know that my powers were a one-time thing, they would think that I could wipe them out single-hoofedly as well." Crystal explained.
"Hey look! There's me!" Heart called out to the group as she was looking at her picture. Above the picture was her cutie mark, the Crystal Heart with a pair of golden wings. "Let's watch my cutie mark story now!"
"So why is mommy in the hospital again?" Heart asked her father in the waiting room.
"She's really sick, and she needs special medicine." Shining explained without going into too much detail.
Cadence had cancer, and healing magic couldn't fix it. She had been in the hospital for a month now. Whenever Heart Wing asked him why he was going away so often, Shining had just said "I'm running errands." He would never let his daughter see her mother in such a bad condition. (Crystal would have visited more often, but she was in training camp.) This would be the first time Heart would go with Shining to the hospital, but he still wouldn't allow her to go see Cadence.
"Prince Shining Armor?" The nurse called out.
Shining stood up. "That's me."
"Please come with me." The nurse said as she motioned for him to follow her into a room.
Heart went up to her father and grabbed his leg.
"Where are you going, daddy?" She asked.
"Daddy's going to talk to the doctor, but I'll be back soon." Shining assured Heart. "Just stay put, okay?"
"Okay, daddy."
Once Shining and the nurse entered the room, Heart practiced her magic, which, so far, had only been a few sparks. But after a while she got bored.
"Daddy's been in the room for a while, now." Heart thought. She was hesitant, but she eventually decided to eavesdrop on the conversation. Heart put her ear against the door and listened.
"…not working… won't make it… has three months…" is all that Heart heard. She tried to fill in the blanks. The bakery's oven is not working, so they won't make it to a party and the bakery has three months to make a cake that was pre-ordered? No. The new muffin maker is not working, so they won't make it make anymore muffins, because now the inventor has three months supply of muffins? No. Mommy's medicine isn't working , so she won't make it and she has three months to live? No way! Heart was still thinking when she heard hoof steps and raced back to her chair.
When Shining came out, his eyes were red. Tears were slipping down his face.
"What's wrong daddy?" Heart asked her father.
Heart expected to hear a reply, but all she heard was silence.
"Daddy?"
Shining stood still. After he shook his head, he said, "L-let's just go home now…"
"Okay…"
As father and daughter walked home, Heart had a million things racing through her mind. "What's not working? What won't make it? What has three months? Why is daddy so sad? Why don't I ever get to see mommy?" Heart was so deep in thought that she bumped into the Crystal Palace gates.
"Oof."
Heart backed away from the door and looked for her dad.
"Dad? Daddy? Daddy where are you?!" She called out. "He must have already gone inside!" Heart thought.
Heart raced inside the palace and called for her dad. "DAD, WHERE ARE YOU?!?! HELLO?!" Hearts' voice echoed throughout the crystal halls, but she heard no reply. After an hour, Heart gave up and decided to go to the kitchen, since she was a little hungry. Heart when into the kitchen and opened the fridge to look for ice cream, but it was all gone.
"What? It's all gone?! But the maid just bought 10 gallons!"
Heart heard tiny sobs coming from behind the kitchen island. She grabbed a nearby frying pan, just be safe. Heart slowly approached the back of the island. Without thinking, she just started hitting the pony behind the island with the frying pan.
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!"
Heart stopped an looked to see her father, who was rubbing his head, behind the island. His eyes were red, and there were ten empty buckets of ice cream around him.
Heart suddenly bombarded Shining with questions. "Dad! What are you doing here? I was looking for you for hours! Why are you crying? Why did you eat all the ice cream?! How could you eat all the ice cream?! I wanted some too, you know!"
Shocked, Heart went up and hugged her father. "W-what's wrong, father?"
"C-Cadence is g-going to d-die s-soon… AND I'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!!!" Shining cried.
Heart froze. "Mom… is gonna… die?"
Shining still continued to sob, wailing so loud that the crystal silverware in the nearby cabinet shattered.
Heart flinched. "Daddy's gonna break the palace if he keeps this up!" She thought. "I have to find a way to make him feel better! Even if I'm only six years old, I'll try my hardest!"
Heart hugged her father even tighter. "At least you have me, right?" She asked Shining. "And big sis, and Aunty Twilight!"
"Thanks Heart…" Shining sniffled. "You're right."
Shining picked up the empty ice cream buckets and put them in the trash. Then he went to his room.
"Man, I still wanted ice cream!" Heart complained.
Day after day, week after week, Heart continued to cheer up her father. Whenever he started crying, she would always hug him and say, "You still have me and big sis!" and "There are plenty of things to be happy about!" Even though Heart still couldn't see her mother to cheer her up, whenever Shining visited her, he told Cadence how Heart had cheered him up! Cadence was so happy that she was determined to get better, even if all odds were against her. Halfway into Cadence's last month, she surprised everypony! Cadence went to the Crystal Palace with good news. She was healed! The doctors don't know how it happened, but one day, she just got better! Shining and Heart were overjoyed! Cadence had returned to them. On top of that, Heart got her cutie mark! The Crystal Family was happier than ever!
Embers shed a tear while Star and Sky were sobbing.
"So… beautiful…" Sky sniffled.
"You reunited your family…" Star added.
"And I was at camp the whole time!" Crystal angrily ranted. "I wasn't there when you guys needed me!"
"How could you be at training camp when you were only eight years old?" Jewel questioned Crystal.
"Hey, I was one tough cookie back then!" Crystal replied.
"You still are!" Heart thought.
"That was a pretty heartwarming story, wasn't it, Lunares?" The voice asked.
"Whatever." Lunares replied coldly.
Sky went up to Lunares and put a hoof around her shoulder. "Come on, Lunares! You have to at least feel happy for Heart and her family!"
Lunares pushed Sky away and backed away from her.
"Okay, Misses Brick-Face! Whatever you don't say!" Sky teased.
"Ugh…" Lunares thought.
"It still didn't tell us why Heart was crystal wings." Jewel complained.
"You don't know?" Star questioned.
"No. Mommy and daddy never told us, and Heart doesn't even know either!" Jewel replied.
"Hey, shouldn't we find a way back so we can fix our element problem?" Crystal asked.
"We have time, Crystal." Embers replied. "I have a feeling that time has not passed in Equestria since we got here."
"Okay…" Crystal replied unsurely.
Precious Jewel went up to her picture, with her cutie mark on top of it as well. Jewel's cutie mark was a Crystal Heart with a Band-Aid on it. Once again, everypony gathered around the picture and saw how Jewel received her Cutie Mark.
Cadence, Shining Armor, and Heart Wing were all gathered around newborn Precious Jewel in the NICU. They looked at her, sleeping so peacefully. She was so tiny!
"I'm here!" Crystal whispered as she rushed into the NICU.
"Crystal!" Heart exclaimed as she ran to hug her sister.
"Back from camp so soon?" Shining joked.
"Well, the camp instructor said that I had to go, since it was a royal emergency."
"In that case, meet your new sister, Precious Jewel!" Cadence introduced Crystal.
Crystal took one look at Jewel, and her heart exploded… twice!
"She's so adorable!" Crystal squeaked. "But why is she in the NICU?"
"She was born three months early." Cadence replied.
"Oh…"
"Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence?" The doctor called.
"That's us!" Shining and Cadence said simultaneously.
"Please come with me."
"Okay…" Cadence replied unsurely.
"Crystal and Heart, wait in the waiting room until we come back." Shining directed his daughters.
"Okay!" Crystal and Heart replied.
Cadence and Shining went and sat down in the doctor's office.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news…" The doctor said somberly. "Since Precious Jewel was born 3 months early, she is undeveloped. She has an extremely fragile body, and won't be able to get even a scratch, or else she will have to be brought to the hospital. Jewel can go home in five months, but I advise that you keep her in bed under extreme care. Unfortunately, Precious Jewel will be like this for her entire life."
"We understand…" Shining replied quietly.
"Th-thank you, doctor…" Cadence said as she and Shining walked out of the room.
"How should we tell the kids?" Cadence asked her husband, struggling to keep from bursting into tears. "I mean, should we even tell them at all?"
"We should just tell them." Shining replied. "It's not good to keep things from the kids, and besides, they'd eventually find out by themselves."
"You're back!" Heart exclaimed happily as her parents entered the waiting room.
"So, what's up?" Crystal asked curiously.
Shining and Cadence sat down and took deep breathes.
"Your sisters' body… is very fragile … and she can't get hurt…. or else she'll have to got to the hospital…" Shining replied sadly.
"And even when she goes home… she'll have to stay in bed… all the time…" Cadence choked.
Heart and Crystal were shocked.
"Come one…" Shining said as he stood up. "Let's go home…"
Five months passed, and Precious Jewel was able to go home for the first time. Cadence and Shining kept her in a cloud crib, because Jewel could get hurt if she slept in a crystal one. Guards watched Jewel 24/7 to make sure she never got hurt. Even though Jewel was very weak physically, she was very strong mentally. Jewel learned how to talk when she was just one year old! However, she never learned how to walk, because she wouldn't be able to leave her bed anyway. Jewel was never taught how to read or write, because she could get a paper cut or a splinter. She was pretty bored most of the time. The only time she wasn't bored was when her sisters talked to her.
When Jewel was two, her parents told her about her fragile body and why she never left bed.
"Really? All my life, I'll be like this?" Jewel asked.
"Unfortunately, yes." Shining sighed.
"Well, how do you know?" Jewel questioned.
""The doctors told us so." Cadence replied.
"How do we know the doctors are right?" Jewel challenged.
"Umm… just because." Shining ended.
"Well, that's not a sufficient answer!" Jewel exclaimed. "I'm gonna get better, just you wait! Even if these 'doctors' don't think so!"
"Okay then." Cadence chuckled sadly.
From that moment on, every night before she went to bed, Jewel looked out her window and wished, "I wish I could get better."
Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, Jewel would wish she could get better. Even though her parents though it was useless, Jewel never lost hope. When she was five, on the day of the Crystal Faire, Jewel woke up and she felt… different. Jewel yawned and sat on her bed and looked around her room.
"The guards aren't here…" Jewel mumbled nervously. "Wait a minute… The guards aren't here! That means I can try to stand up!"
Jewels' heart began racing.
"I reallly want to try to stand up, but I don't know if I should…" Jewel thought reluctantly. Eventually, Jewel made her decision.
Jewel slowly put her weight on her hooves, her body shaking. To Jewel's surprise, she could stand up!
"I-I can stand up!" Jewel exclaimed cheerfully.
Next, Jewel put her let foot in front of her. Then her right hoof, and then her left hoof again. She could walk!
"I-I can walk!" Jewel shouted. "Mom! Dad! I can walk!"
Jewel ran to the throne room to show her parents, But when she entered the room…
"Jewel! What are you doing out of bed?!" Cadence shouted, worried for her daughter.
"I-I can walk!" Jewel replied.
Jewel ran to her mother, but she suddenly tripped in front of her mother. When Jewel stood up, her horn was broken.
Horrified, Cadence shouted, "Guards! Bring Jewel to the hospital immediately!"
The guards rushed to the room and put Jewel on stretcher.
However, much to Cadence's surprise, when she looked at Jewel, she grew a crystal horn on her head to replace the broken one.
"H-how did you do that?" Cadence muttered, flabbergasted.
"I-I don't know! It just… healed!" Jewel replied.
Cadence dismissed the guards and hugged her daughter tightly.
"I was so worried!" Cadence cried.
Suddenly, the doctor came rushing into the room.
"Your highnesses," The doctor bowed. "When I received Princess Jewel's medical reports for this week, it shows that Jewel is… normal! We don't know how it happened, but all signs of Jewel being undeveloped are gone!"
"Y-you mean…" Jewel muttered.
"Your healed!" The doctor exclaimed.
Jewel and Cadence hugged each other, overjoyed.
Ater that, Jewel was put into school and learned how to read and write. She was also able to play with her sisters and go to the Crystal Faire! Cadence and Shining agreed that this years' Crystal Faire was the best Crystal Faire ever, because their whole family was able to go. The Crystal Family was finally whole.
"Wow…" Sky mumbled.
"But… how… defied… science…" Star muttered.
"Uh oh. Star isn't able to comprehend Jewel's AWESOMENESS!" Heart exclaimed.
"Th-that was pretty n-neat…" Crystal said quietly.
"That was wonderful!" Embers exclaimed.
"Meh. So she defied science. Big deal. We live in a world of magic for Celestias' sake!" Lunares thought.
"OH COME ONE!!!" The voice shouted. "AREN'T YOU AT LEAST HAPPY FOR THEIR FAMILY, LUNARES?! HUH?! ARE YOU?!?!"
"Stop talking to me." Lunares thought as she tried to shut out the voice.
"Fine." The voice said as it became quiet.
"Well, there are still more Cutie Mark stories to view," Embers said. "So let's go!"
"Hey, sis, let's watch your cutie mark story next!" Sky prodded her sister.
Hesitantly, Blue Embers slowly walked up to her picture with her cutie mark, a burning blue fire, above it. After watching it for a while, she let a single tear slip down her cheek.
"Mother…"
Silently, everypony gathered around Blue Ember's picture as more tears fell down her cheek.
"Ugh… Maybe I should go back to the orphanage…" Blue Embers moaned as she clutched her stomach, laying on the concrete ground of Canterlot.
Blue Embers' parents died when she was five years old. She eventually found her way to the orphanage, but in the three years that she had been there, nopony wanted to adopt her. Blue Embers gave up hope and ran away, hoping to fend for herself, but things didn't go as she planned. She scavenged for food scraps in the back alleys of Canterlot, but rarely found anything edible.
"B-but I have to f-find food…" Blue Embers stuttered as she forced herself to stand up and keep looking.
Hooves trembling, she slowly walked deeper into one of the alleys, until she saw a dumpster, seeming to have been there for weeks.
"Maybe I can find something good." Blue Embers said hopefully as she hopped in to the dumpster. "I haven't had anything to eat in weeks…"
Rummaging through the garbage, all she saw were rotten old clothes covered in moth holes and some moldy bread.
"Ewww… Moly bread…" Blue Embers said, disgusted. "Maybe I can find something better to eat."
Looking deeper in dumpster, she still only saw old clothes and more moldy bread, until…
"A GLASS GOBLET!" Blue Embers exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Maybe I can sell this for some bits to buy food!"
Ignoring her hunger, the young filly quickly climbed out of the dumpster, holding her treasure. Blue Embers ran as fast as she could through the alley, eager to find a pawn shop before it closed for the night. She was almost at the end of the alley, but before she could reach Canterlots' wide, open road, she tripped on a cardboard box and dropped the glass goblet, shattering it with a loud CRACK!
Flinching, Blue Embers stood up and looked at the shattered goblet, crestfallen.
"Th-that was my only chance of finding food…" Blue Embers said weakly, devastated.
Suddenly, in the dim light of the alley, Blue Embers saw a shadow slowly approach her. She turned around to see a large pony in a dark cloak, slowly walking closer and closer to her. Terrified, Blue Embers slowly backed away from the cloaked pony. She was about to escape the figure approaching her until she tripped on the cardboard box again and fell on her rump. Wincing, she looked at the dark pony who was extending its hoof towards her. Blue Embers closed her eyes shut, preparing to feel pain, but she felt no pain at all. Instead the cloaked pony just stood in front of her, hoof extended toward her. Hesitantly, Blue Embers reached her hoof out and grabbed the strangers' hoof. The pony pulled on Blue Embers' hoof, helping her stand up.
"Th-thanks…" Blue Embers stuttered, hooves shaking.
The pony nodded, then pulled back its hood revealing its face.
Princess Celestia put her hoof against Blue Embers' mouth, silencing her.
"My apologies, young filly, but nopony must know that I am here." The princess whispered as she removed her hoof from Blue Embers' mouth.
Blue Embers still shocked by the presence of royalty, Princess Celestia continued talking.
"I am sorry for startling you; I did not mean to harm you. I was walking down the road when I heard a loud noise, and I came to investigate." The princess whispered.
"B-b-but…" Blue Embers muttered, at a loss of words.
Princess Celestia put her hoof on the fillys' shoulder.
"It's okay. You can calm down now." The princess said soothingly.
Blue Embers calmed down a bit, breathing more slowly. She smiled at the princess, for nopony had talked to her in months.
"By the way, what's a young filly like yourself doing on the streets of Canterlot at this hour?" Princess Celestia questioned.
"I-I-I…" Blue Embers stammered, tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to tell the princess everything, about her parents' death, not being wanted by anypony, running away, fending for herself, but she just couldn't get it out!
"Did you get separated from your family?" Princess Celestia asked, voice filled with pity. "I can help you find them."
The princess held the fillys' hoof, guiding her out of the alleyway. But to her surprise, Blue Embers jerked her hoof away from the princess', eyes filled with angry tears.
"THEY'RE GONE!" Blue Embers screamed, breathing heavily.
Princess Celestia looked at the rage-filled filly in front of her, eyes filling with sympathy.
"Th-they're g-gone…" Blue Embers mumbled weakly before collapsing to the ground, blacking out.
When Blue Embers woke up, she was in a large canopy bed in a large room, filled with expensive looking furniture and decorations.
"W-where am I?" Blue Embers moaned, head hurting. She look out the window beside her to see Canterlot from above, ponies busily walking on the streets, each had somewhere to be.
Princess Celestia walked into the room, a relieved look on her face.
"Thanks goodness you are awake!" The princess said warmly.
"W-where am I, princess?" Blue Embers managed to get out.
"You're in Canterlot Castle." Princess Celestia replied.
"CANTERLOT CASTLE?! I'M IN CANTERLOT CASTLE?! WITH THE PRINCESS?!" Blue Embers wanted to shout, but she was too tired to speak.
Princess Celestia looked closely at Blue Embers and smiled.
"I'll come back later. It seems that you are too tired to speak." The princess said as she turned to leave.
"W-wait… D-don't l-leave m-me…" Blue Embers mumbled before she fell into a deep sleep.
A few hours later, Blue Embers woke up. She opened her eyes, and saw Princess Celestia looking at her.
"Gah!" Blue Embers yelled, startled.
"Did I startle you?" Princess Celestia laughed.
"N-no… I just have… um… allergies! Yes, I have… allergies." Blue Embers stammered.
The princess laughed.
"Oh, yes! I never got your name. Would you mind telling me what it is? Princess Celestia asked.
"Blue Embers!" Blue Embers replied. "My name is Blue Embers."
"That's a beautiful name." Princess Celestia complemented.
Blue Embers blushed.
"Are you feeling better?" The princess asked.
"Yes! Much better." Blue Embers replied cheerfully.
"Well then, let's go get you cleaned up! You don't want to be trailing dirt around everywhere you go!"
Blue Embers blushed, embarrassed.
"It's okay! When I was younger, when I came home from playing, I left a big, messy trail of dirt wherever I went!"
"Really?" Blue Embers giggled.
"Mmm-hmm! And then we can have lunch together!" Princess Celestia chirped. "It appears that you haven't had anything to eat in a very long time." Princess Celestia said as she looked at Blue Embers' alarmingly skinny frame.
"M-me!? Eat l-lunch?! W-with the p-princess?!" Blue Embers stuttered.
"Why of course!" Princess Celestia replied.
Blue Embers hopped out of bed and followed Princess Celestia. As they were walking down the halls, Blue Embers marveled at the large rooms and halls, all filled with priceless decorations and furniture. But as they walked farther down the halls, Blue Embers noticed something. Whenever Princess Celestia walked near somepony, they bowed, but they only walked past herself, giving her dirty looks. She heard the maids and butlers whisper mean things about her.
"Dirty street rat."
"She shouldn't even be allowed inside Canterlot, much less in Canterlot Castle! Near the princess!"
"Why would the princess even give that urchin a single thought?"
But Princess Celestia didn't even notice. Hanging her head low, Blue Embers trudged down the halls, Princess Celestia in front of her.
Finally, Blue Embers reached the doors to the Royal Bathing Room.
"Am I even allowed to go in here?" Blue Embers asked nervously.
"Of course!" Princess Celestia replied as she walked in. "You're with me, aren't you?"
Blue Embers hesitantly walked into the room. The moment she saw what was in there, all her disappointment melted away.
"B-b-b…" Blue Embers stammered, at a loss for words.
"Do you like it?" Princess Celestia asked.
"I-it's n-nice…" Blue Embers managed to get out, but instantly regretted saying it. 'Nice' was definitely an understatement.
The room was made entirely of crystal, with crystal showers, crystal bathtubs, crystal sinks, crystal hot tubs filled with what looked like crystal liquid, and much more!
"My niece just imported all of the furniture from the Crystal Empire." The princess explained.
"Oh, well that explains all the crystal!" Blue Embers laughed.
"Well then, let's get you cleaned up!"
Blue Embers went into one of the bath tubs after it had been filled up. She sighed, feeling her body relax.
"Ahhh… This is so nice…" Blue Embers sighed.
Princess Celestia grabbed some soap and a loofa. She put rubbed the soap on the loofa and then started to rub it on Blue Embers' back.
"Ah!" Blue Embers shouted, taken aback. She turned her head behind her. "W-what are you doing?"
"I'm cleaning you!" The princess replied. "Just relax, Blue Embers."
"Okay." Blue Embers said as she slid back into the tub and closed her eyes.
"bers… embers… blue embers…"
Blue Embers groaned.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!"
Blue Embers opened her eyes. She was on a couch, her mane wrapped up in a towel, the princess sitting next to her.
"Oh no… Did I fall asleep again?" Blue Embers moaned.
"It's okay. You were only asleep for a few minutes." Princess Celestia assured Blue Embers as she removed the towel from her head.
Blue Embers gasped.
"My hair! It's…"
"Perfect?"
"B-but…"
"These towels are enchanted." The princess explained. "When you take them off, you don't need to brush your mane because they magically style your mane perfectly!"
"That's so cool!" Blue Embers exclaimed.
"C'mon! Let's go to the dining hall!" Princess Celestia insisted.
Blue Embers trotted excitedly after the princess. This had turned out to be the best day ever! She was taken in by the princess, was currently staying in the castle, and was about to eat with her! But all the excitement didn't last long, as soon as Blue Embers exited the Bathing Room, the servants started giving her dirty looks again. Blue Embers sulked behind Princess Celestia.
After what had felt like forever, Blue Embers reached the dining hall entrance. The two guards at the doors let the princess in, but they blocked Blue Embers from entering.
"Wait! Princess Celestia!" Blue Embers called out.
Princess Celestia looked back at Blue Embers on the other side of the doors. She commanded the guards to let her in. Reluctantly, they moved out of the way to let Blue Embers pass, but they shot her mean looks.
Princess Celestia sat in a chair at the head of the table, resembling the royal throne, only smaller. It was white as snow with a beautiful sun emblazoned on it. There were two other chairs near the table. The first on, which was to the right of Princess Celestia, was royal blue, with a moon surrounded by black splotches emblazoned on it. The other chair, which was to the right of Princess Celestia, was a deep shade of purple, with a moon surrounded by splotches also on it, except half of the splotches were black, while the other half were purple.
"Where should I sit?" Blue Embers asked, observing that none of the chairs matched her coat or mane color.
Princess Celestia used her magic to make a small, orange throne with a burning blue fire emblazoned on it appear at the end of the table.
"You can sit there, so we can be across from each other!" Princess Celestia insisted.
Blue Embers sat in the orange chair, marveling at how big it was compared to herself.
"Wow, this is so comfortable!" Blue Embers exclaimed gleefully.
"I'm glad you like it" Princess Celestia replied.
Suddenly, trumpets sounded as waiters and waitresses walked through the door, each carrying multiple plates of food. They set all of the food down on Princess Celestia's side of the table, but none on Blue Embers' side. Princess Celestia looked at Blue Embers, who had a disappointed look on her face. Princess Celestia winked at Blue Embers. She smirked as the waiters and waitresses left the room. Smiling, she lifted all of the food to the middle of the table, so both her and Blue Embers could reach it. Blue Embers' eyes lit up.
"Eat as much as you like!" Princess Celestia said as she took a bite out of some apple pie.
"Really?!" Blue Embers exclaimed, drooling.
"Of course!" The princess replied, mouth stuffed with apple pie.
Drooling, Blue Embers put some apple pie, marble cake, blueberry muffins, cupcakes, and brownies on her plate. Princess Celestia looked at Blue Embers' plate, and then her own. She shrugged. Her plate had twice as many sweets than Blue Embers' plate!
"Do wowals eaw wiwe is ery ay?" Blue Embers asked, mouth too full with food to speak properly.
"Eh cah ewertawd oo!" Princess Celestia muffled, mouth also filled with food.
For the next hour, Princess Celestia and Blue Embers stuffed their mouths with as much food as they could. Princess Celestia had no guards inside the dining hall because they would certainly disapprove the way her and Blue Embers were eating. Only after an hour of nonstop eating were Princess Celestia and Blue Embers' stomachs' full.
"That was the best meal I've ever had in my entire life!" Blue Embers said as she burped.
"I'm glad you liked it!" Princess Celestia said as she burped as well.
Blue Embers and Princess Celestia burst into laughter.
"So, there's something I want to talk to you about." Princess Celestia giggled.
"What is it?" Blue Embers asked, struggling to suppress her laughter.
Princess Celestia took a deep breath. She looked into Blue Embers' eyes.
"Where are your parents?"
Blue Embers stomach sank.
"M-my p-parents?" Blue Embers stuttered nervously.
"Yes." The princess replied. "When I asked you back in the alley, you unfortunately blacked out. You said they were gone."
Blue Embers looked down.
"Th-they died when I was five…" Blue Embers replied, still looking down.
Princess Celestia stood up and walked towards Blue Embers.
"I found my way to the Canterlot Orphanage, but nopony wanted me. Then I ran away." Blue Embers sniffled.
"Oh… I'm sorry."
The princess hugged Blue Embers, who was startled at first, but then hugged her back. They shared a silent moment, tears streaming down both of their faces.
Blue Embers remembered the times she shared with her parents. Her father reading bedtime stories, her mom and dad tucking her in at night, going to the store with her mother, playing in the yard with her father. Every moment Blue Embers had with her parents was replayed in her mind. Blue Embers cracked a tiny smile, thanking the universe for very second she spent with her parents.
After their moment was over, Princess Celestia looked at Blue Embers and smiled.
"Well then, would you like to be adopted?"
Blue Embers eyes widened, her heart racing.
"B-by w-who?" Blue Embers struggled to get out.
Princess Celestia giggled. She put her hoof around Blue Embers' shoulder.
"By me!"
Blue Embers heart nearly stopped.
"WHAT?!?! THE PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA IS GOING TO ADOPT ME?!?!" Blue Embers yelled before she fainted.
"My, that filly tends to faint very often! I should try not to surprise her so much…" Princess Celestia thought to herself before teleporting Blue Embers to the bed in her new room.
After Blue Embers woke up, Princess Celestia held a coronation for her new daughter and invited all the royals of Equestria. Blue Embers had the chance to meet her auntie Luna and her daughter, Lunares (who was very cheerful at the time), her auntie Cadence, uncle Shining, auntie Twilight, uncle Flash, and all her other relatives! Then Blue Embers was fitted for her new royal attire. Blue Embers got to decorate her new room and was given a tour of the castle! On top of everything, Princess Celestia threw another party for her! It was the best week of her life! However, the celebrations wouldn't last long…
Two years later, Princess Luna went with the night guard to help Shining and Cadence fight an army of shadow ponies in the Crystal Mountians, insisting that her sister had ought to spend time with her daughter, especially celebrating the day she adopted Blue Embers. Celestia agreed, and Luna went to battle by herself.
Princess Celestia threw a party for Blue Embers, recounting all the times they laughed, cried, and had cake together. Princess Celestia invited all her friends, including Twilight and Flash, while Blue Embers invited all her friends from her school, Celestias' School for Gifted Unicorns. Everypony was having a great time! Unknown to Princess Celestia, Blue Embers had made a gift for her! She was going to give it to her mother at midnight. When the clock struck twelve, Blue Embers went up to her room to get it.
"Now, where is it?" Blue Embers thought as she rummaged around her room for the gift. "Oh, right! I remember where it is!"
Blue Embers walked over to the fireplace in her room. She stuck her hoof in the fire and when she brought it out, she was holding a wrapped box.
"I can't wait to give this to mom!" Blue Embers thought excitedly as she skipped back to the ballroom.
However, to her surprise, when Blue Embers went downstairs to the ballroom, everypony was on the floor, seemingly lifeless.
Blue Embers dropped her gift.
"W-what happened?" Blue Embers muttered as she sank to the floor.
Blue Embers' eyes searched for her mother in the sea of motionless bodies, but it was to no avail.
"I'll just have to look harder…" Blue Embers thought to herself as she stood up.
Blue Embers walked through what seemed like a massacre, careful not to step on anypony. She looked for her mother, thinking it would be easy, for she had a much larger body frame than any other pony in the land. Finally, Blue Embers spotted her mother, in the middle of the room.
"Mother!" Blue Embers cried as she raced to her side.
Blue Embers put her hoof on her mothers' arm, but quickly drew it back with a cry, for her body was as hard and cold as ice.
"H-how did this happen?" Blue Embers thought as she warmed up her hoof with a spell.
"HA HA HA HA HA!!!" A voice laughed.
"W-who's there?" Blue Embers called out, trying to be brave.
"Oh, no one…" The voice cooed slyly. "Just somepony… Ask your cousins… They know me…"
"W-what? I don't have any cousins, s-so there!" Blue Embers spat.
"Oh, you will… soon… very, very soon…" The voice sneered.
"J-just show yourself!" Blue Embers yelled.
"HA HA HA HA HA!!!" The voice cackled.
The voice echoed through the room, and then was gone.
"W-what was that about?" Blue Embers mumbled, shocked at what just happened.
Blue Embers looked at her mother.
"What?!" Blue Embers cried. Her mother, who looked like a young mare even though she was millions of years old, looked like a normal pony who was a hundred years old! Her mother was looking even older as more seconds passed by.
"Is she losing her immortality?!" Blue Embers thought. She racked her brain for answers, but she thought of nothing that could explain what was happening.
Now her mother looked like a normal pony who was a hundreds years old!
"S-she's gonna die!" Blue Embers cried. "I need to find help!"
Blue Embers raced out of the ballroom as fast as she could, tears in her eyes. She needed to find a butler, maid, guard, anypony! They needed to save her mother NOW!
She spotted a guard in the hall.
"Sir! Please help me!" Blue Embers begged him. "My mother is gonna die!"
"Yeah right. She's IMMORTAL, you brat!" The guard scolded her.
"Please, she's in trouble!" Blue Embers implored him. "She doesn't haven much time to live! Please, please, if you have ANY heart, PLEASE save her!" Blue Embers cried, tears streaming down her face.
The guard scoffed.
"Move along, YOUR HIGHNESS!" The guard mocked.
Blue Embers looked at him one last time, eyes red and puffy, tears dripping down her face.
"Please…"
The guard walked away, mumbling something to himself.
Blue Embers shut her eyes and ran away from him.
"If he isn't gonna save mother, I'll got help from somepony else! Surely they'll help me!" Blue Embers told herself, but she had doubts if ANYPONY would actually believe her.
Blue Embers asked for help from every pony she saw in the hall, but no one believed her. Defeated, Blue Embers eventually went back into the ballroom, her mother on the verge of death.
"I'm sorry, mother…" Blue Embers sniffed sadly, tears spilling on her mother's face and instantly freezing. "I couldn't save you…"
"But if you're gonna die, I'm gonna die too!" Blue Embers proclaimed. She made a large knife appear, and sliced her left eye.
Blue Embers screamed in agony, her voice echoing through the land. She wanted the pain to stop! She didn't want to live in a world without her mother! She had just gotten a family, and then it had been taken away from her! She didn't want to live anymore! Not without her family! Not without her mother! Blue Embers collapsed to her knees, sobbing, eyes filled with tears and blood.
Suddenly, a thought hit Blue Embers.
"Ponies can give another pony life energy through a spell, bit it takes years to master. The pony casting it will age many years in seconds. But don't worry, you'll never have to use it, because I will always protect you, Blue Embers." Her mother had told her.
Blue Embers stopped crying. She wiped away her tears and covered her left eye with gauze.
"It looks like I'm going to be the one protecting you…" Blue Embers smiled sadly at her mother.
First, Blue Embers had to form a time bubble around her mother and herself. Inside the bubble, Blue Embers would age countless years, but to anypony outside the bubble, no time would pass at all. As Blue Embers became older, the pony she was transferring her life energy to would become younger. She had only practiced the spell for a week, but her mother said it was really good for how short she was working on it.
Blue Embers sighed.
"Let's do this."
Blue Embers closed her eyes.
For hundreds of years, Blue Embers sat by her mother, aging and aging, in hopes of reviving at least a fraction of her mothers' life, just enough so that she could save herself. Blue Embers ate nothing, drank nothing, just sat there for years, all while holding up a spell.
As the sun began the rise (Princess Luna raised it from the Crystal Empire), the ponies in the ballroom began to rise from the floor. They had only been frozen, so the sun shining through the window thawed them. As they warmed their bodies up, they turned their attention to the bubble in the middle of the room. Inside were two ponies, mother and daughter. It looked as if the younger mare was getting older and older as seconds passed by, while the elder mare was getting ever so slightly younger. Alarmed, they called they guards. The guards tried to break the bubble around the two, but it was to no avail. Blue Embers was going to sacrifice everything to save her mother, no matter the cost, no matter what stood in her way, no matter what.
Inside the time bubble, Princess Celestia opened her eyes, feeling warmth surround her body. In front of her was her daughter, but she looked different somehow.
"B-blue Emb-bers?" Princess Celestia called out weakly, barely a whisper.
The thousand year old mare looked at the youthful mare in front of her and smiled.
The time bubble began to dissipate.
"T-thank you m-mother…" Blue Embers rasped, teeth chattering, hooves shaking.
Princess Celestia opened her eyes wide. It was only for a moment, but in front of her was an aged Blue Embers, with gray hair, shaking hooves, a wrinkly coat, and a gash across the left side of her face. She was smiling, tears streaming down her face.
"Goodbye…"
Blue Embers collapsed to the floor as the time bubble fell, leaving mother and daughter before a crowd, shocked at what had happened before their eyes.
Princess Celestia stood up, hoof rubbing her head.
"What happened?"
The ponies before her pointed at Blue Embers, who was laying on the floor behind her.
Princess Celestia gasped, and instantly ran to her daughters' side.
"Blue Embers!"
Princess Celestia looked turned her head to the crowd of ponies behind her.
"What did she do?" Princess Celestia asked, devastated.
A stallion stepped forward.
"We saw Princess Blue Embers make some sort of bubble around herself and you. And then-- "
"A b-bubble?" Princess Celestia blurted, voice quavering.
"Y-yes," The stallion continued. "And it appeared that she was aging--"
Princess Celestia's faced filled with horror.
"No… She couldn't have…" Princess Celestia mumbled.
She looked at her daughters' aged face. Blue Embers was smiling.
"She did that… to save me?"
"Poor Blue Embers…" Princess Celestia mourned as she hugged her daughters' body tightly.
Princess Celestias' horn began to glow brightly. Everypony stepped back from the two princesses. A bubble began to form around Princess Celestia and Blue Embers. Inside the bubble, the crowd could see Blue Embers returning to her original, youthful state, but Princess Celestia didn't look as if she was becoming older. Instead, Princess Celestia looked the same as her present state.
As the bubble began to dissipate, the crowd gasped at the sight of the young princess.
Princess Celestia stook out her hoof and helped Blue Embers stand.
"Reminds me of the first time we met…" Princess Celestia smiled.
Suddenly, Blue Embers' wings stretched out from her body.
"I-I'm a…" Blue Embers stuttered, shocked,
"You're an alicorn now!" Princess Celestia announced.
At the sight of Blue Embers' new wings, the crowd bowed before their princess.
"Y-you don't have to b-bow…" Blue Embers mumbled quietly, blushing.
Blue Embers turned her head behind her. She was an alicorn now!
"Hmm… there's something else…"
Blue Embers turned her head more to see a burning blue fire on her flank.
Blue Embers gasped.
"My cutie mark!" Blue Embers exclaimed.
Princess Celestia looked at Blue Embers' flank.
"You're right!"
"Wait a minute…" Blue Embers paused. "The chair… the fire… how did you know it would be my cutie mark, mother?"
"Oh, I know things…" Princess Celestia smirked.
"That's so cool! I-I-I just… I-I'm just so excited I could just--"
Blue Embers fainted in front of Princess Celestia, wings awkwardly sticking out.
"Darn it! I was doing so well!" Princess Celestia complained.
Blue Embers was on the floor of the Time Plane, crying, while the group embraced her in hug.
"Shhh… It's okay…" Crystal soothed Blue Embers as she wiped her eyes.
"B-but she d-died e-earl-ly b-because I-I g-gave her n-normal l-life en-nergy…" Blue Embers sobbed.
"That's certainly not true!" Lunares scoffed.
"Well then, why don't you tell your cousin it wasn't her fault?" The voice suggested.
"And let her knowthe truth?" Lunares scoffed. "No way!"
The voice gasped.
"You'd do that for Blue Embers?"
"I guess…" Lunares mumbled.
"Ah ha! I told you Lunares! You do have some good in you!"
"Shut up."
"Is there anything you want to tell my sister, Lunares?" Tranquil Skies questioned as she eyed her cousin.
"Calm down, Sky." Star said as she put her hoof on Skys' shoulder. "Just leave her alone."
"Fine." Sky sulked.
"Lighten up, Blue Embers!" Heart insisted as she made a box of tissues appear in front of Blue Embers.
Pushing away from the group embrace, Precious Jewel walked down the Time Plane to Tranquil Skies' story, with a sun poking out of a black cloud emblazoned above it.
Alone, Precious Jewel watched Skys' cutie mark story, while the others continued to comfort Blue Embers.
