Hold That Retirement
“So after much consideration,” Celestia finished, “my sister and I have decided it is time for us to retire!”
Spike and the girls all gasped at the announcement. It suddenly made sense why they were called so urgently.
There was a bright flash, and Discord appeared, wearing the classic outfit of a journalist- the brown vest, white undershirt, black tie, and a beige fedora.
“Breaking news!” He practically crowed, holding up a pad of paper and a pencil. “The royal princesses retiring! I have so many questions!” He flew up to the royal sisters’ faces, asking, “Who will take over? Who will run Equestria? Will it be someone tall, dark, and handsome? Or will it be the Lord of Chaos?” Several duplicates of his talon hand formed in mid-air and pointed to him unsubtly.
Well used to Discord’s antics, and amused by them, the sisters merely smiled as they pointed past him- at Twilight.
The group’s eyes widened, especially Twilight’s.
Discord followed Celestia’s hoof, and rolled his eyes at the meaning of the gesture. “Oh fine, go with the obvious choice.”
Twilight made a little whimpering noise, processing the sisters’ intention for her to succeed them. “You’re retiring?!”
“Princesses can retire?” Spike asked. He only knew one other case of a retiring royal, the former Dragon Lord Torch, father of his friend Dragon Lord Ember, but he hadn’t ever heard of princesses retiring.
Luna chuckled at Spike’s innocent question. “Of course, we can. I, for one, am looking forward to a little R & R, maybe a trip to Silver Shoals.”
“And you want me to take your place?” Twilight clarified, her voice still strained from the sheer anxiety already sinking in.
Both princesses nodded. “With the help of your friends, of course.”
Showing Twilight they would be by her side through the change, Spike and the girls huddled around her, Rarity even going as far as resting a foreleg across Twilight’s back. For a brief moment, Twilight looked around at her friends with a smile before returning her gaze to the princesses.
“We can’t think of anypony more worthy-,” Celestia said as she spread her wings to glide down and join the group.
“No.” The one word interruption halted Celestia’s movement.
Everyone blinked, staring at the speaker. Twilight wasn’t smiling anymore; she was frowning.
“I’m sorry?” Celestia apologized, folding her wings back in.
“I said no,” Twilight repeated herself, stepping forward. “Forgive me Celestia and Luna, but I can’t take your place. I won’t.”
Discord’s eyes expanded with interest. “Ooh, now there’s a twist!” His body split into pieces, all spinning around in various directions to show just how twisty he found Twilight’s response.
Celestia and Luna glanced at each other, both tilting their heads at Twilight confusedly.
“Why not?” Celestia inquired, a look of concern crossing her muzzle.
“Uh, because it wouldn’t be right.” Twilight shook her head. “You say that Equestria has been at its most peaceful in a long time, but I think the last four to eight years have been anything but that due to all the crazy things that have happened since Nightmare Moon returned.” She cringed quickly upon realizing she had just referenced a dark point in Luna’s life. “…No offense, Luna.”
Luna ducked her head for a moment before waving a hoof dismissively. “None taken, Twilight.”
“…well, peaceful compared to five hundred years ago, I guess,” Celestia relented, looking away awkwardly and staring at a flag on the wall.
“That’s not even getting into how the timing for me to become Equestria’s main princess is all wrong,” Twilight continued, ignoring Celestia’s reply. “I just started the School of Friendship, my passion project. I’ve finally found a career that I love just like my friends have, and to become sole princess would mean I would have to leave it. Sure, I could do what you did with the School for Gifted Unicorns, but it wouldn’t be the same because I wouldn’t get to spend nearly enough time there. What would the point of starting the School of Friendship be if I had to resign after the first year to rule?”
Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but Twilight kept going.
“And what about my friends?” Twilight gestured to her companions. “Moving to Ponyville was the best decision in my life. Making friends with them helped me grow into the pony I am today, and they’ve been there for me through the toughest challenges. Now you want me to go backwards?”
“Backwards?” Celestia frowned in confusion at Twilight’s phrasing. “We don’t-?”
“That’s what moving back to Canterlot so I could rule Equestria would be,” she insisted. “Moving back would mean being alone again without my friends, just like before.”
“We mentioned that your friends could help you rule, didn’t we?” Luna interjected, understanding Twilight’s concerns of loneliness.
“With what time? None of them can move to Canterlot with me because all their jobs are based in Ponyville, and they’re already stretched thin as it is teaching at the school and pursuing their own careers. Asking them to make frequent trips up here to help me rule Equestria would be too much!”
Behind Twilight, the rest of the girls murmured with each other that Twilight had a point. Pinkie suggested uncovering the mirror pool, but that was quickly shot down.
“Then there’s the matter of you two,” Twilight pointed a hoof at the princesses.
“Us?” Luna blinked, raising a hoof to her chest.
“Retiring doesn’t make much sense, at least half of it doesn’t.” She looked up at her mentor, who had finally stopped staring at the flag sometime during Twilight’s speech to gaze back down at her student. “Celestia, I can understand you wanting to retire. You’ve been in this position for over a thousand years; you’ve more than earned retirement.” She glanced over to Luna. “You, on the other hoof, I don’t understand retiring. You just got back a few years ago.”
The princess of the night shuffled on her haunches. “…My sister came up with the idea of retiring together. That way we could spend more time with each other. As it is now, she’s always awake when I’m asleep, and vice versa. Unless we make specific arrangements, which sometimes get canceled for one reason or another, our schedules don’t overlap very much.”
Pinkie tilted her head, and raised a hoof. “But, if Celestia retired and you didn’t, couldn’t you two just make plans whenever you have a break? It might not be as much time as you would have if you both retired, but it would still be more than you’re getting. I think.” The party pony tapped her chin, wondering if she had that right.
“Twilight,” Celestia spoke up, “are you sure you don’t want to rule?”
Twilight lowered her head regretfully. “I’m sorry, but I have to respectfully decline. Everypony has their own destiny they need to follow. Mine is being an Element of Harmony and running the School of Friendship, not ruling a kingdom.” She lifted her head to face her mentor. “Celestia, do you truly want to retire?”
“I do,” Celestia answered with a swift nod.
“Luna?”
Frowning, Luna gazed at Celestia. “Sister, I apologize, but I don’t feel the same way. I feel I can keep going. I only agreed to the retirement because I wanted to spend more time with you, and after spending that one day in your horseshoes, I wasn’t sure if I could handle that every day.”
“With all due respect, Princess, I believe you could,” Applejack said, taking off her hat to show her sincerity and respect.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash added, “the first day is always a shock to the system. I remember when I first started on the Ponyville weather team, and wondering if I could handle all the responsibilities that came with it.”
“Or when we started teaching at the School of Friendship,” Fluttershy said softly, catching Discord’s eye and continuing her thought at his encouragement. “I was so nervous about teaching in front of a class several times a day for most of the week, but I eventually grew comfortable with it.”
“But, if I started ruling during the day, who would guard the dream realm?” Luna pointed out. “I can’t hold a day of court and then protect ponies’ dreams at night.”
“Nopony said you had to rule during the day.” Rarity stepped forward. “Twilight declined because she believes ruling Equestria does not align with her destiny. For the same reason, it wouldn’t be right for you to give up the night.”
“Court has to be held during the day,” Luna replied, somewhat flummoxed by what Rarity was suggesting. “Nopony would be willing to switch to holding court at night.”
“Not right away, at least,” Celestia granted, already thinking what would have to be done to set up Luna for ruling individually. “It would be too much of a change in a short period of time for everything involving the government. Night court would need to be slowly transitioned into over the period of perhaps five, ten years at minimum. Of course until then, my retirement would leave day court without somepony in charge. Somepony would need to handle the procedures for the day until the transition is completed.”
“What are you thinking? Another student?” Rainbow asked, seeing the pensive look on the princess’s muzzle. “Give somepony in the office a promotion?”
“Maybe Princess Luna needs to find herself a student,” Applejack piped up, having put her hat back on her head after giving Luna her support. “She’ll be the boss, which means they have to report to her.”
“…I don’t know. I’d probably make a terrible teacher,” Luna said, suddenly nervous about Applejack’s suggestion.
“Oh nonsense, Luna,” Celestia replied, touching a hoof to her sister’s wing. “You did a fine job with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, from what you’ve told me about visiting their dreams. I’m sure you would be just as successful with a regular student.”
Luna quietly grinned at her sister’s support, unsure of what else to say.
“As nice as the thought of Luna taking on a student to pass on her knowledge and abilities would be, putting a student in charge of day court would be far too much pressure to put on somepony inexperienced with political workings,” Celestia continued.
Discord watched the back and forth, raising an eyebrow. “So Moonbutt isn’t getting her own student?” He shook his head. “A shame. Would’ve been interesting to see who ends up as her protégé, maybe that Moondancer girl. Slap a different mane and tail color on her and she’s a Twilight clone.” In his claws, he conjured up a Moondancer figurine and a paintbrush dripping with Twilight’s colors, swishing the brush over the figurine and making it look like a tiny Twilight.
Spike had gotten a piece of parchment from somewhere, and was currently jotting down notes. “Okay, so what I’m hearing is we’re looking for somepony with plenty of political experience and an understanding of how day court works to help ease Equestria through the transition period to Luna ruling on her own and holding night court.” He scratched the side of his head, struggling to think. “We’d probably need to interview all of Celestia’s advisors to find the best candidate.”
“Ooh! Ooh!” Pinkie bounced in place, looking at Spike. “I know! Whatever happened to that prince guy that embarrassed Rarity at our first Grand Galloping Gala? The one that Rarity didn’t want to find her glass slipper?”
Rarity’s cheeks turned a shade of red at that particular memory being brought up, but Pinkie’s thought hit a chord with the rest of the group.
“Prince Blueblood!” Spike and the other four mares chorused, recalling his name. They all turned to the princesses for their thoughts.
The sisters shared a look.
“Blueblood did grow up surrounded by politics,” Celestia remembered, “and he’s been working hard since he became a stallion. He’s been an ambassador for the past few years, but I know he’d appreciate more central duties.”
Luna added, recalling the few bits she knew about their relative, “He’s also distantly related to us, so a member of the royal family would still be holding court.”
Nodding in agreement with her sister, Celestia said to Spike, “Start a list of candidates for the day court director and put Blueblood at the top, I’ll fill out the rest.” The young dragon did as she instructed and scribbled down more.
Twilight cleared her throat, signaling to everyone else she wanted to speak up once more. “On that note, I think we should end the discussion for today. It started out one way and spiraled into something very different. Let’s give Celestia time to put her list together, and tomorrow we can discuss the finer details of setting up Luna’s transition.”
“Good call, Twilight,” Spike agreed, flapping his wings and preparing to leave.
“Aw phooey,” Discord joked, “and the conversation was just getting interesting.” He conjured up a can of soda, but when he cracked open the tab to take a drink, popcorn dropped out of the can and into his mouth.
“Ooh! I want one of those!” Pinkie bounced beneath Discord, and the draconequus created another can. Pinkie snatched it up, and used her curly mane to open the tab. Proceeding to hold the can with her mane, she exited the throne room, gobbling up popcorn as she went.
The rest of the group followed Pinkie out. As Twilight made to leave last, Celestia glided down from her throne.
“Twilight, a word?” Celestia said.
Twilight turned around. “What is it?”
“I just want to say that I’m very proud of you,” the princess stated, smiling brightly.
The purple alicorn blinked at her mentor. “Huh? But I ruined your plans to retire. How could you possibly be proud of me?”
“Because you finally declined a request from me. Twilight, for as long as I’ve known you, not once have you ever said no when I asked for you to do something. In the past, I could’ve asked you to do something ridiculous like go live in the woods for twenty years and count sticks, and you would’ve done it.” She chuckled at the ridiculousness of the example. “I’ve guided you into a life so extraordinary, and now you’re choosing what you do with it. You know what you want to do, and you’re sticking to it instead of dropping everything the moment I ask to involve you in something else. That is why I’m proud of you.”
“Wow. Thank you, Celestia. That-that means a lot.” Twilight frowned for a moment. “Even though, even though it means you can’t retire quite yet?”
Celestia glanced back at her sister, sitting on her throne. “Oh, I may still be able to retire. I ruled on my own for quite some time, perhaps it’s Luna’s turn to be in the spotlight. Only, she won’t be alone like I was.”
“No, she won’t,” agreed Twilight, smiling in the night princess’s direction. “See you tomorrow?”
“Of course, Twilight. Have a good evening.”
With their final words said, Twilight departed to catch up with her friends while Celestia returned to her sister.
They had a lot to discuss.
In Discord’s house within the chaos dimension, the draconequus himself sauntered down a hall, having used the downstairs to go up to the second floor.
“That Twilight,” he shook his head in amusement, “turning down the chance to be the top princess. She keeps surprising me.” Stopping at a door, he opened it, revealing a room full of orbs. Within each orb showed something different, whether it was another place in a different time, or that same place at the current time.
Discord plucked an orb off a crowded shelf, and peered into it. Squinting at the orb’s contents, he could see the royal sisters’ throne room, possibly ten to twenty years later. Twilight and her friends stood within the room, surrounding a purple unicorn that eerily reminded Discord of Starlight and Sunburst at the same time. Spike and the mares he knew looked so different from how they were at the present. Spike was tall and far too buff for Discord to believe he would realistically grow, and except for Twilight, the mares had bags around their eyes while also sporting new accessories. As for Twilight…
Discord shrugged, tossing the orb aside. “Eh, it was probably for the best. The Celestia look does not work for Twilight at all.”