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Students of Heaven 1-43 (Complete)

By LineOfFlowers
Created: 2021-01-03 21:34:29
Expiry: Never
sunset shimmertwilight sparkleprincess celestia

  1. 1.
    Note: This is the original draft of this story, but not the best one. Another version, expanded, and rewritten in prose can be found here:
  2. 2.
    https://www.deviantart.com/poisonhorsie/gallery/62495852/Students-of-Heaven
  3. 3.
    and here:
  4. 4.
    https://www.fimfiction.net/story/368234/students-of-heaven
  5. 5.
    I hope you'll check it out. It's much better than this one.
  6. 6.
     
  7. 7.
     
  8. 8.
     
  9. 9.
    Students of Heaven
  10. 10.
     
  11. 11.
     
  12. 12.
    Post 1
  13. 13.
     
  14. 14.
    >Dear Princess Celestia,
  15. 15.
    >Things are well here.
  16. 16.
    >The sun shines, the birds sing in the trees,
  17. 17.
    >and I see you were right again;
  18. 18.
    >life is so much easier with friends.
  19. 19.
    >Snips and Snails have taken quite a liking to me.
  20. 20.
    >They sulk around, destroy things, intimidate the students,
  21. 21.
    >and most importantly of all,
  22. 22.
    >they recognize my greatness.
  23. 23.
    >They do so much for me I can just sit back and bask in the misery.
  24. 24.
    >See? I'm making progress!
  25. 25.
    >You may have refused to make me an alciorn but it doesn't matter.
  26. 26.
    >There's no magic here anyway, and I already rule without it.
  27. 27.
    >This whole area is "under my thumb."
  28. 28.
    >Don't they have the cutest expressions?
  29. 29.
    >But it's true:
  30. 30.
    >I rule.
  31. 31.
    >I rule a school, yes, but the wails of a child are no less real.
  32. 32.
    >Their anguish is felt just as keenly.
  33. 33.
    >Their tears are just as sweet.
  34. 34.
    >I rule a school, yes, but it's a school of flypaper, and they're the flies.
  35. 35.
    >They can't run without tearing off their own legs;
  36. 36.
    >their society, even their families turn on them if they try,
  37. 37.
    >hurting them in ways I never could.
  38. 38.
    >In fact, their entire futures are destroyed if they don't graduate,
  39. 39.
    >so they find no rest no matter where they go.
  40. 40.
     
  41. 41.
     
  42. 42.
    Post 2
  43. 43.
     
  44. 44.
    >They're trapped with me.
  45. 45.
    >In a way adults never would be.
  46. 46.
    >And it's all thanks to you.
  47. 47.
    >Every time Snips and Snails steal for me,
  48. 48.
    >every time someone is late for class because they're too afraid to pass me in the hall,
  49. 49.
    >every time I lie to Flash, and he lashes out in my defense,
  50. 50.
    >every downcast eye, every fearful whimper, every tearful breakdown;
  51. 51.
    >they're all because of you.
  52. 52.
    >I want you to remember that.
  53. 53.
    >I may be on the other side of the mirror,
  54. 54.
    >but I am still me:
  55. 55.
    >indomitable, unstoppable, me.
  56. 56.
    >And everyone here is mine.
  57. 57.
    >Remember that.
  58. 58.
    >You're the kind of pony who would care.
  59. 59.
    >They aren't your ponies, they aren't even ponies at all,
  60. 60.
    >but you care.
  61. 61.
    >Sleep well Princess.
  62. 62.
    >See my face when you close your eyes.
  63. 63.
    >Dream about what I've done, and so, what *you* have done through me.
  64. 64.
    >Dream too, about all the suffering still to come.
  65. 65.
    >The sweet, sweet suffering.
  66. 66.
    >I wonder how much longer it will be before I rack up a suicide?
  67. 67.
    >Wish me luck!
  68. 68.
    >Your faithful student,
  69. 69.
    >S
  70. 70.
     
  71. 71.
     
  72. 72.
    >I leave the book and walk slowly to my balcony
  73. 73.
    >Something's got to be done about Sunset.
  74. 74.
    >My poor little student, so very lost.
  75. 75.
    >Pegai flit between my towers.
  76. 76.
    >The faint sound of hooves on stone echo among my walls and gardens.
  77. 77.
    >Ponyville and Cloudsdale dot the horizon.
  78. 78.
    >All of Equestria spread out before me.
  79. 79.
    >But I don't see it.
  80. 80.
    >Instead, I see the past...
  81. 81.
     
  82. 82.
     
  83. 83.
    Post 3
  84. 84.
     
  85. 85.
    >Nowhere
  86. 86.
    >Aeons ago
  87. 87.
     
  88. 88.
    >I'm alone.
  89. 89.
    >I've always been alone.
  90. 90.
    >That's how it feels.
  91. 91.
    >Emptiness stretches out around me,
  92. 92.
    >cold, silent blackness above and below.
  93. 93.
    >Time passes.
  94. 94.
    >There's no way to know how much.
  95. 95.
    >I don't want to be alone anymore.
  96. 96.
    >I summon my power and a star springs into being.
  97. 97.
    >More magic
  98. 98.
    >I create a planet, beautiful and blue.
  99. 99.
    >Sunlight glimmers off the water and high cloud-tops.
  100. 100.
    >Eventually I descend, and call land from the waves.
  101. 101.
    >It makes me happy, but I can do better!
  102. 102.
    >Mountains, and prairies, islands and rivers!
  103. 103.
    >Sometimes I form them myself,
  104. 104.
    >but most of the time, I let the processes I set in motion do the shaping.
  105. 105.
    >Eventually, I am satisfied.
  106. 106.
    >I take pieces of my world and shape them further.
  107. 107.
    >Some please me, and some don't.
  108. 108.
    >Eventually, I create a kind I like more than all the others:
  109. 109.
    >4 legs, hooves, a tail and mane.
  110. 110.
    >It's pleasing. So much so that I adopt it myself,
  111. 111.
    >twisting and molding my own shape to mimic it.
  112. 112.
    >Larger, of course, to suit my majesty.
  113. 113.
    >I give life to my creations and scatter them across my new world.
  114. 114.
    >Now it's time to wait.
  115. 115.
    >Eventually, some will be born with the potential to ascend.
  116. 116.
    >I'll find them, and guide them, and when they are ready,
  117. 117.
    >I will help them through apotheosis.
  118. 118.
    >Then, I won't be alone anymore.
  119. 119.
     
  120. 120.
     
  121. 121.
    Post 4
  122. 122.
     
  123. 123.
    >Canterlot
  124. 124.
    >Present Day
  125. 125.
     
  126. 126.
    >Sunset was right, I hadn't made her an alicorn,
  127. 127.
    >but I hadn't made Twilight one either.
  128. 128.
    >I'd merely given them the seed of divinity, as I had a few others,
  129. 129.
    >and tried to guide them in a way it would sprout true.
  130. 130.
    >Sunset had so much potential, but she'd never had patience.
  131. 131.
    >She'd left before I could make her understand,
  132. 132.
    >and still carried the seed within her.
  133. 133.
    >That made her dangerous.
  134. 134.
    >Very, very dangerous.
  135. 135.
    >If it grew while she still harbored so much darkness the results would be terrifying.
  136. 136.
    >Even in that banal world she now inhabited, her powers would be immense.
  137. 137.
    >Made even more formidable by being the only magic there.
  138. 138.
    >It would be much the same as if Nightmare Moon had usurped my throne.
  139. 139.
    >I can not let that happen!
  140. 140.
    >But what to do?
  141. 141.
    >She won't come back, and even if she did, she would still be the same corrupted unicorn.
  142. 142.
    >How can I save her?
  143. 143.
    >I look down on the ponies preparing for the upcoming Princess Summit.
  144. 144.
    >They'd soon be on their way to the Crystal Empire, and I'd follow at my leisure.
  145. 145.
    >An idea forms.
  146. 146.
    >Sunset didn't know the origin of my "sister" Luna,
  147. 147.
    >or how close Starswirl had come to ascending himself.
  148. 148.
    >But Sunset does know about Cadance, and what she used to be.
  149. 149.
    >She doesn't know about Twilight, or Twilight's ascension, or her crown.
  150. 150.
    >But what if she did?
  151. 151.
    >I return to the book and levitate my quill.
  152. 152.
    >I close my eyes and summon all my knowledge of both ponies.
  153. 153.
    >I'll only have one chance to get this right.
  154. 154.
    >I compose the letter in my mind again and again.
  155. 155.
    >Eventually, my eyes open, and I begin to write.
  156. 156.
     
  157. 157.
     
  158. 158.
    Post 5
  159. 159.
     
  160. 160.
    >Canterlot
  161. 161.
    >c1300 years ago
  162. 162.
     
  163. 163.
    >I follow Luna through the cool air.
  164. 164.
    >It's always cool at this height, among the clouds.
  165. 165.
    >She'd woken up early this afternoon and asked me to come with her;
  166. 166.
    >to a meadow high up on Canterlot Mountain,
  167. 167.
    >with a large piece of gneiss jutting over the valley below.
  168. 168.
    >It's honeycombed with tunnels and passages, and had been an active jewel-mine in her youth.
  169. 169.
    >Now depleted, and abandoned.
  170. 170.
    >I know she visits from time to time.
  171. 171.
    >This time we're together
  172. 172.
    >We set down in the grass and make our way to the pond
  173. 173.
    >A beautiful, pure thing fed by a waterfall
  174. 174.
    >We sup and bathe, talk and play,
  175. 175.
    >then, as the time for night draws close,
  176. 176.
    >make our way to the tip of Canterlot Rock.
  177. 177.
    >A gentle breeze blows, and insects softly buzz in the flowers.
  178. 178.
    >I lay down and look out on my kingdom
  179. 179.
    >A contented sigh escapes my lips
  180. 180.
    >I smile
  181. 181.
    >"Surely there is no pony so lovely, and so well beloved as I."
  182. 182.
    >Luna laughs a little bit
  183. 183.
    >"What a thing to say, Sister!"
  184. 184.
    >"There's no harm in telling the truth, little sister."
  185. 185.
    >"We do not say it doth harm. We merely observe that...modesty hath never been among thy virtues."
  186. 186.
    >I say nothing and look out
  187. 187.
    >She's right, of course. But why should I be modest?
  188. 188.
    >The ponies are here to serve me.
  189. 189.
    >No, not me: us!
  190. 190.
    >At long last my dream is fulfilled!
  191. 191.
    >Another pony was born: gifted and beautiful!
  192. 192.
    >I taught her and trained her and eventually, gave her the spark of divinity.
  193. 193.
    >Not long ago, she blew that spark to flames and became an Alicorn.
  194. 194.
    >My very first!
  195. 195.
    >My dear Princess Luna;
  196. 196.
    >my sister from that day forth!
  197. 197.
    >But still so young;
  198. 198.
    >eventually she'll learn the ponie's proper place:
  199. 199.
    >beneath us.
  200. 200.
    >"We haven't offended thee, have we?"
  201. 201.
    >Now it's my turn to laugh
  202. 202.
    >"No you have not."
  203. 203.
    >"Good. We would not be pleased to have soured the mood."
  204. 204.
     
  205. 205.
     
  206. 206.
    Post 6
  207. 207.
     
  208. 208.
    >A gorgeous smile spreads across her face.
  209. 209.
    >"We hath prepared a spectacle of such majesty!"
  210. 210.
    >"This is why we hath asked thee to come:"
  211. 211.
    >"this is our favorite place in all the land, and we wish thou to savor it with us."
  212. 212.
    >I smile and lower the sun
  213. 213.
    >"Show us, little sister."
  214. 214.
    >She closes her eyes and channels her magic
  215. 215.
    >The moon rises
  216. 216.
    >Her eyes open, and she lays down beside me
  217. 217.
    >The soft light from her horn casts our shadow on the rock
  218. 218.
    >"Keep watching the sky!"
  219. 219.
    >Stars pop into being
  220. 220.
    >flashing silver and blue and red against the black
  221. 221.
    >then fading to steady twinkles
  222. 222.
    >shooting stars fall like rain
  223. 223.
    >brilliant streaks sheeting together from right to left
  224. 224.
    >Suddenly, it occurs to me the streaks are falling in formation
  225. 225.
    >taking the shapes of gryphons, dragons, minotaurs, and of course, ponies.
  226. 226.
    >They burn out as they reach the rows of new stars
  227. 227.
    >Falling in sequence so as to seem to walk along them:
  228. 228.
    >A road of stars with meteor-creatures dancing along it.
  229. 229.
    >Eventually the creatures reach the glowing orb of the moon and vanish.
  230. 230.
    >Then the star road winks out
  231. 231.
    >one by one until the moon alone remains.
  232. 232.
    >I nuzzle, and lean against her
  233. 233.
    >"That was beautiful sister."
  234. 234.
    >"We are glad thou appreciated it."
  235. 235.
    >"We wanted thee to know thy decision to grant us demense over the night was a proper one."
  236. 236.
    >I lay my head atop her shoulders
  237. 237.
    >"I had no doubts before sister, now I doubt I ever will."
  238. 238.
    >She smiles and looks at me askance
  239. 239.
    >"Good. As the beauty of mine nights becomes known, thou will rememebr not to become *too* jealous."
  240. 240.
    >I summon a mildly biting look and stare into her eyes
  241. 241.
    >"Sorry it has to be this way, princess, but the day will always outshine the night."
  242. 242.
    >Then raise my snout to the sky, letting my pink tresses fall between us
  243. 243.
    >A moment passes
  244. 244.
    >then two
  245. 245.
    >Have I hurt her more than I intended?
  246. 246.
    >At last she laughs
  247. 247.
    >"Just as we have said; modest as the sun itself!"
  248. 248.
    >She resumes our lean and we pass the night together.
  249. 249.
     
  250. 250.
     
  251. 251.
    Post 7
  252. 252.
     
  253. 253.
    >The Crystal Empire
  254. 254.
    >Present Day
  255. 255.
     
  256. 256.
    >The thing about Twilight is, she's not my apprentice.
  257. 257.
    >She never has been.
  258. 258.
    >Oh she's my student,
  259. 259.
    >and the most talented magic user I've ever encountered in my long life.
  260. 260.
    >I love her dearly.
  261. 261.
    >But she isn't like me;
  262. 262.
    >she's like my sister, Luna.
  263. 263.
    >Sunset though, is me.
  264. 264.
    >Younger, less magically potent, but so much like me it borders on the incredible.
  265. 265.
    >Her confidence, her power, her bearing and wit.
  266. 266.
    >Very much like I once was.
  267. 267.
    >Which is probably why I did it;
  268. 268.
    >gave her the seed before she was ready.
  269. 269.
    >I was sure, because I saw so much of myself in her.
  270. 270.
    >She needed guidence and temperance, but surely she could not fail?
  271. 271.
    >*I* could not fail.
  272. 272.
    >Not again.
  273. 273.
    >But I did.
  274. 274.
    >I learned from the mistake, and was able to turn Twilight in time,
  275. 275.
    >but I am the sun, and my sister the night.
  276. 276.
    >Sunset, too is the sun, and Twilight the night;
  277. 277.
    >there must be both.
  278. 278.
    >So here I am, about to risk everything I've accomplished:
  279. 279.
    >millions of lives, millennia of pony-history
  280. 280.
    >and the unknowable expanses of time since I created the world.
  281. 281.
    >All for the sake of one lost unicorn.
  282. 282.
    >And it's worth it.
  283. 283.
    >Because she has the potential to be so much more.
  284. 284.
     
  285. 285.
     
  286. 286.
    Post 8
  287. 287.
     
  288. 288.
    >The mirror has been moved to a room close to Princess Twilight's.
  289. 289.
    >I have reduced the guard compliment.
  290. 290.
    >Now I wait, cloaked and obscured in my most potent magics.
  291. 291.
    >Even my dear sister would be hard-pressed to detect me.
  292. 292.
    >A flash of light tells me she's arrived
  293. 293.
    >I watch her stealthily creep among the corridors.
  294. 294.
    >Not stealthily enough!
  295. 295.
    >A bit of my subtle magic here and there ensures the guards don't spot her.
  296. 296.
    >How easy it would be to catch her now!
  297. 297.
    >But, she must be saved, not merely stopped.
  298. 298.
    >Oh Twilight, forgive me.
  299. 299.
    >You're a princess, and so, immortal; one day you'll be a goddess too.
  300. 300.
    >Then you'll understand.
  301. 301.
    >At last she finds what she's looking for.
  302. 302.
    >The Element of Magic rises in the darkness.
  303. 303.
    >This seems an opportune moment;
  304. 304.
    >I give the tiara a little push into the lamp.
  305. 305.
    >Damn it to Tartarus, she caught it!
  306. 306.
    >Well, let's try again;
  307. 307.
    >a touch of magic,
  308. 308.
    >Spike rolls in his sleep,
  309. 309.
    >Sunset trips,
  310. 310.
    >and the chase is on!
  311. 311.
    >A little magic to amplify the noise
  312. 312.
    >Now all the ponies are involved!
  313. 313.
    >Galloping and teleporting,
  314. 314.
    >all the way to the mirror,
  315. 315.
    >No! Twilight caught her!
  316. 316.
    >Sunset won't give up, especially with this incentive;
  317. 317.
    >I bounce the crown from one surface to the next,
  318. 318.
    >and finally, through the mirror.
  319. 319.
    >Sunset frees herself and turns,
  320. 320.
    >victory scrawled across her perfect face.
  321. 321.
    >"Sorry it had to be this way,"
  322. 322.
    >a smirking salute
  323. 323.
    >"princess."
  324. 324.
    >My jaw drops, and she's gone.
  325. 325.
    >I've often heard ponies invoke my name.
  326. 326.
    >But who does a goddess pray to?
  327. 327.
    >She's so very much like me.
  328. 328.
    >I hope I'm not making another terrible mistake.
  329. 329.
     
  330. 330.
     
  331. 331.
    Post 9
  332. 332.
     
  333. 333.
    >Castle of the Two Sisters
  334. 334.
    >c1100 years ago
  335. 335.
     
  336. 336.
    >"Here ye, here ye! All who gather, stand and bear witness!"
  337. 337.
    >Luna's Royal voice booms through the great hall.
  338. 338.
    >I gesture with my horn and all eyes fall on the Grand Door.
  339. 339.
    >As it opens my orchestra begins to play.
  340. 340.
    >A grand tune, full of triumph and honor!
  341. 341.
    >A lone unicorn stands tall, aged though he is,
  342. 342.
    >and proudly marches down the carpet toward us.
  343. 343.
    >All eyes follow him
  344. 344.
    >Not a trace of contempt or loathing on any of their faces.
  345. 345.
    >Stallions belong in the bedroom or the fields.
  346. 346.
    >That's the way it has been for as long as I could remember.
  347. 347.
    >They had said it to his face at first,
  348. 348.
    >when as a foal his magical talents began to outshine those of any mare.
  349. 349.
    >Then quietly, behind his back,
  350. 350.
    >when I decided to teach him.
  351. 351.
    >Now, they don't say it at all.
  352. 352.
    >Some of the other stallions even seek educations of their own.
  353. 353.
    >He stops before us, kneels, and smiles.
  354. 354.
    >Awed by us, of course, but also,
  355. 355.
    >by the sun and moon visible through the windows.
  356. 356.
    >Sharing the sky.
  357. 357.
    >Luna's idea.
  358. 358.
    >An appropriate display for one who has saved Equestria!
  359. 359.
    >The music fades, and Luna speaks again:
  360. 360.
    >"Know Ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of"
  361. 361.
    >"Starswirl the Bearded,"
  362. 362.
    >We do appoint him a Hero of Equestria!"
  363. 363.
    >"To be known as such from this day forth,"
  364. 364.
    >"and I do strictly direct and require all ponies"
  365. 365.
    >"to render appropriate respect thereunto."
  366. 366.
    >Her echos slowly die.
  367. 367.
    >My turn to speak
  368. 368.
    >"Starswirl the Bearded, Hero of Equestria."
  369. 369.
    >"For recognizing and defeating the Three Beasts of Song,"
  370. 370.
    >"receive this medal!"
  371. 371.
    >He rises to all fours and I place a Royal Seal around his neck,
  372. 372.
    >borne on a chain of solid gold.
  373. 373.
    >"Stand and be recognized!"
  374. 374.
    >he turns, and as one they all bow to him.
  375. 375.
    >I let him savor his moment.
  376. 376.
    >"Now, Hero of Equestria, speak!"
  377. 377.
    >"Name your reward. If it is within my power, you shall have it."
  378. 378.
     
  379. 379.
     
  380. 380.
    Post 10
  381. 381.
     
  382. 382.
    >Canterlot Meadow
  383. 383.
    >that night
  384. 384.
     
  385. 385.
    >Luna and I lie together, looking over our kingdom.
  386. 386.
    >"Why did you do it Celestia?"
  387. 387.
    >"Sister, please..."
  388. 388.
    >"We are not really sisters. Answer us."
  389. 389.
    >My dear sister is angry and embarrassed that the ponies still revere my days more than her nights.
  390. 390.
    >She has been for some time.
  391. 391.
    >But since the ceremony, she's turned frigid as ice, and now she says this?
  392. 392.
    >Luna; petulent and puerile even after all these years.
  393. 393.
    >But I will not rise to it.
  394. 394.
    >I will be an example to her, as I am to every pony.
  395. 395.
    >Eventually, she will realize how base her behavior is.
  396. 396.
    >I sigh
  397. 397.
    >"It was what he asked for."
  398. 398.
    >"But another, like us?"
  399. 399.
    >"He isn't an Alicorn yet, Sister."
  400. 400.
    >"He has a great deal to learn before the seed sprouts, if it does at all."
  401. 401.
    >A roll of her eyes
  402. 402.
    >"We know that, Celestia. We worked long and hard before our own took root."
  403. 403.
    >She lets out an incredulous laugh
  404. 404.
    >"But, Celestia, what will you do if it does? Send him to rule one of our protectorates?"
  405. 405.
    >I consider for a moment. "He isn't a mare..."
  406. 406.
    >"That's right Celestia, he isn't a mare. They won't accept him."
  407. 407.
    >"They'll play along. To his face, and ours, but nowhere else."
  408. 408.
    >My sister's words are sharp, and flung with annoyance.
  409. 409.
    >Why does she behave so?
  410. 410.
    >"He is not a mare, but I believe the job would suit him."
  411. 411.
    >Luna's expression changed to disbelief.
  412. 412.
    >"They will mock him, and maybe you too. It is no fault of his own,"
  413. 413.
    >"but his appointment will undermine our legitmacy in their eyes."
  414. 414.
    >Her expression darkens, and she glares at me.
  415. 415.
    >"But you know this, Celestia, don't you?
  416. 416.
    >I raise my nose and let my gaze ooze down upon her.
  417. 417.
    >"Meaning what, Sister?
  418. 418.
    >"You are no fool Celestia."
  419. 419.
    >A strange look flits across her face
  420. 420.
    >"But neither are we!"
  421. 421.
    >Her voice cracks
  422. 422.
    >"You think we have failed. You think us delinquent in our duty of the night."
  423. 423.
    >"You seek to replace us! To make him steward of moon and stars in our stead!"
  424. 424.
    >That's it?
  425. 425.
    >Oh how she is truly, my *little* sister.
  426. 426.
     
  427. 427.
     
  428. 428.
     
  429. 429.
    Post 11
  430. 430.
     
  431. 431.
    >I soften my gaze
  432. 432.
    >"Sister, I..."
  433. 433.
    >"Do not deny it! How strange that you would choose a male,"
  434. 434.
    >"but his name is so convenient, isn't it? 'Starswirl'."
  435. 435.
    >She spat it out like a rotten apple.
  436. 436.
    >Her eyes narrow.
  437. 437.
    >Then, she whispers so quietly no pony but myself would have been able to hear her:
  438. 438.
    >"It's to humiliate us, isn't it? That's why you chose a stallion."
  439. 439.
    >"Fields, bedroom, or replacing Luna... that's what they'll say."
  440. 440.
    >I lower my head and nuzzle her chin
  441. 441.
    >"Sister! I will never replace you."
  442. 442.
    >She looks at me, tears welling in her gorgeous eyes.
  443. 443.
    >"Look."
  444. 444.
    >I gesture with my snout
  445. 445.
    >"The land, the sky, everything in between."
  446. 446.
    >"Every rock, every plant, every creature, every pony."
  447. 447.
    >"I created this world to find you. You are my sister."
  448. 448.
    >"Immortal, powerful, and one day, when you have learned and grown enough,"
  449. 449.
    >"you will attain divinity every bit as splendid as my own."
  450. 450.
    >"If Starswirl ascends, he too will become immortal, and he will not be accepted right away."
  451. 451.
    >"But we can wait, dear sister."
  452. 452.
    >"We will hold the kingdom, the world itself together, as long as it takes to change."
  453. 453.
    >"Experience tells me, it will not be so long as you think."
  454. 454.
    >"But what will not change, is my love for you, or your place at my side."
  455. 455.
    >"You are my sister, forever and always, and I love you, forever and always."
  456. 456.
    >She looks away, and silently gazes at the horizon
  457. 457.
    >I lay my head on her shoulder
  458. 458.
    >"Is it time, sister?" she asks.
  459. 459.
    >I smile and nuzzle again
  460. 460.
    >"It's close enough if you're ready."
  461. 461.
    >I keep my head on her shoulder as she lowers the moon
  462. 462.
    >There's a soft dripping noise
  463. 463.
    >We linger
  464. 464.
    >Everything's going to be OK. I know it.
  465. 465.
    >At last I raise my head, and the sun.
  466. 466.
    >Now, in the light of dawn, I see Luna is crying.
  467. 467.
    >She looks over and smiles
  468. 468.
    >"We do love you, sister. We just wish they loved us too."
  469. 469.
    >"They do."
  470. 470.
    >A moment goes by, and she smiles sadly.
  471. 471.
     
  472. 472.
     
  473. 473.
    Post 12
  474. 474.
     
  475. 475.
    >"We made something for you, Sister"
  476. 476.
    >"Oh?"
  477. 477.
    >"Yes, we have noticed something that all the ponies seem to love: an ornament for the day itself."
  478. 478.
    >"An ornament for the day?"
  479. 479.
    >Her smile is genuine now, despite her lingering tears.
  480. 480.
    >"mmm!" She enthusiastically nods.
  481. 481.
    >"Close your eyes, my sister."
  482. 482.
    >I smile back at her, and do as she asks.
  483. 483.
    >Her horn lightly touches my mane, and a brief tingle passes through me.
  484. 484.
    >"Open them, sister, and follow me to the pond."
  485. 485.
    >Among the rocks, shielded from the ripples of the waterfall it's clear and placid.
  486. 486.
    >In its surfce our faces look back at us;
  487. 487.
    >Luna's smile is as bright as the sun itself, and my own is awestruck.
  488. 488.
    >"My hair..." I whisper
  489. 489.
    >My pink tresses are transformed!
  490. 490.
    >A rainbow, dancing on a gentle wind that isn't there!
  491. 491.
    >Now it's my turn to smile.
  492. 492.
    >My sister, My dearest Luna! So thoughtful even now!
  493. 493.
    >"Thou can suppress it, when thy want to."
  494. 494.
    >"Why would I ever want to do that?"
  495. 495.
    >"Well..." Her tail swishes sheepishly
  496. 496.
    >"it takes a bit of magic to keep it going."
  497. 497.
    >"We gave thee a little of our own so thou could see how it looks,"
  498. 498.
    >"but If it's not kept charged the spell will falter."
  499. 499.
    >I shake my head
  500. 500.
    >"I don't want to suppress it! I don't want it to falter! I'll wear it with love for you, forever!"
  501. 501.
    >She giggles like a little filly and rubs her neck against mine.
  502. 502.
    >"We'll teach you the spell, but first..."
  503. 503.
    >"first?"
  504. 504.
    >"Come and play with us!"
  505. 505.
    >She leaps from the edge of the promontory at full gallop, then soars through the calm dawn sky.
  506. 506.
    >I am not far behind
  507. 507.
     
  508. 508.
     
  509. 509.
    Post 13
  510. 510.
     
  511. 511.
    >Canterlot
  512. 512.
    >Present day
  513. 513.
     
  514. 514.
    >I haven't heard from Sunset for a very long time.
  515. 515.
    >Twilight returned and told me what happened.
  516. 516.
    >My dear little Sunset actually used the crown.
  517. 517.
    >But of course, her seed failed to sprout, as I knew it would.
  518. 518.
    >Sunset may have been able to fight Unicorn Twilight,
  519. 519.
    >but, she was no match for an Alicorn.
  520. 520.
    >Twilight said she left Sunset in the hands of some humans.
  521. 521.
    >The very ones whom she had terrorized for so long.
  522. 522.
    >It seemed an odd thing to do, cruel, even.
  523. 523.
    >An indirect vengeance, unbecoming one of Twilight's station.
  524. 524.
    >Then she said those humans had also been that worlds bearers of The Elements.
  525. 525.
    >So I let her judgement stand.
  526. 526.
    >Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter,
  527. 527.
    >and most of all, Kindness were just what Sunset needed now.
  528. 528.
    >I was surprised there had been no Element of Magic,
  529. 529.
    >But Sunset could do without that for now, at least.
  530. 530.
    >But where was she?
  531. 531.
    >Shortly after Twilight returned Sunset sent me a single letter.
  532. 532.
    >Two little words:
  533. 533.
    >"I'm sorry."
  534. 534.
    >Then, no matter what I said, or how I tried to engage, she refused me.
  535. 535.
    >Eventually, I stopped, thinking she would come to me when she was ready.
  536. 536.
    >Now, it seems she is.
  537. 537.
    >The book dances and glows atop my desk.
  538. 538.
    >I open it and begin to read.
  539. 539.
    >Oh no.
  540. 540.
     
  541. 541.
     
  542. 542.
    Post 14
  543. 543.
     
  544. 544.
    >My poor Sunset Shimmer.
  545. 545.
    >To say nothing of the natives of that world.
  546. 546.
    >The sirens have found them. It must be the sirens.
  547. 547.
    >Probably attracted to, or maybe even awoken by the introduction of magic from Equestria.
  548. 548.
    >If the portal were open, I could take care of this myself.
  549. 549.
    >I can reopen it...but to my regret, she asked for Twilight's help, not mine.
  550. 550.
    >Perhaps that's for the best?
  551. 551.
    >Equestria needs me,
  552. 552.
    >Twilight needs the experience,
  553. 553.
    >and Sunset needs a friend, not a mother-figure.
  554. 554.
    >With the portal closed, Twilight won't be in any danger,
  555. 555.
    >and if it comes to it, I can cross over, and stop the Beasts of Song once and for all.
  556. 556.
    >But only if I must.
  557. 557.
    >Twilight needs the experience,
  558. 558.
    >and Sunset needs a friend,
  559. 559.
    >not me.
  560. 560.
    >Time is of the essence, and a teleport is faster than even my best pegasus courier.
  561. 561.
    >I'll send a letter once it arrives, but
  562. 562.
    >Twilight will recognize the sirens as surely as I did,
  563. 563.
    >maybe even before the message arrives.
  564. 564.
    >She'll also have a way to talk Sunset through her new crucible.
  565. 565.
    >I close my eyes, and cast my sight to Ponyville.
  566. 566.
    >To Twilight's castle,
  567. 567.
    >through the wards and spells meant to keep out farsight and teleportation.
  568. 568.
    >My faithful student improves all the time; they are much better than before,
  569. 569.
    >but still trivial for me to bypass.
  570. 570.
    >There she is, among her books and letters.
  571. 571.
    >When she's focused like this, I could teleport it right in front of her and she wouldn't notice.
  572. 572.
    >She hasn't even sensed my presence.
  573. 573.
    >What to do?
  574. 574.
    >How fortuitous! My shipment of books is arriving!
  575. 575.
    >And they're going right to the throne room.
  576. 576.
    >They will catch her attention if anything will!
  577. 577.
    >Effortlessly, I begin the teleportation spell, and reactivate the books message-alert.
  578. 578.
    >A pop as it disappears from my chambers
  579. 579.
    >Now to find a messenger...
  580. 580.
     
  581. 581.
     
  582. 582.
    Post 15
  583. 583.
     
  584. 584.
    >The Everfree Forest
  585. 585.
    >c1000 years ago
  586. 586.
     
  587. 587.
    >Silence
  588. 588.
    >I watch the moon sink below the horizon.
  589. 589.
    >Luna is nowhere to be seen.
  590. 590.
    >Lately, that's not unusual.
  591. 591.
    >We raise and lower our celestial bodies dawn after dawn, and dusk after dusk,
  592. 592.
    >without ever laying eyes on each other.
  593. 593.
    >But even at dawn, there is some kind of noise: birds, guards, something to hear.
  594. 594.
    >Especially here in the forest.
  595. 595.
    >Silence
  596. 596.
    >I feel a chill up my spine and know Luna is watching me.
  597. 597.
    >She sometimes does, using farsight to spy without having to share my presence.
  598. 598.
    >No, not spy; she knows I know when she watches.
  599. 599.
    >Observe, would be a more appropriate term.
  600. 600.
    >I do not mind.
  601. 601.
    >Dutifully, I raise the Sun
  602. 602.
    >But it is so quiet.
  603. 603.
    >I turn and head back toward our castle.
  604. 604.
    >Last night, I did not want to sleep, and spent the night in the forest watching Luna's sky.
  605. 605.
    >She'd become more and more upset this last century.
  606. 606.
    >Nopony seemed to appreciate her efforts, and one night,
  607. 607.
    >she'd just stopped.
  608. 608.
    >She still raised the moon, but there was no more beauty.
  609. 609.
    >No more soul.
  610. 610.
    >I was expecting yet another dull night, with wan moon and faint, sickly stars, and it was.
  611. 611.
    >At first.
  612. 612.
    >Then, near midnight, I sensed her watching me.
  613. 613.
    >Shortly after, the sky had exploded in light and color.
  614. 614.
    >The moon shone like a beacon, and the stars flared, literally *flared* up,
  615. 615.
    >bursting across the sky in hues I had never seen before.
  616. 616.
    >Even a comet appeared!
  617. 617.
    >I stayed out and watched it all;
  618. 618.
    >after so much effort, I wanted her to know that I, at least appreciated her new-found spark.
  619. 619.
    >"Thank you sister, that was beautiful."
  620. 620.
    >Silence
  621. 621.
     
  622. 622.
     
  623. 623.
    Post 16
  624. 624.
     
  625. 625.
    >I'm not even at the gate yet, and I know something is terribly wrong.
  626. 626.
    >None of the guards are at their posts.
  627. 627.
    >None of the daily delivery-wagons are awaiting inspection.
  628. 628.
    >None of the coopers, or bakers, or gardeners or any of the other staff are at their tasks.
  629. 629.
    >And that silence
  630. 630.
    >Not even an insect disturbs it.
  631. 631.
    >I rush through the gate, the sound of my hooves echoing from the walls
  632. 632.
    >Where is everypony?
  633. 633.
    >"Hello?"
  634. 634.
    >Silence
  635. 635.
    >Thunderous silence
  636. 636.
    >I can still feel the chill that tells me Luna is watching.
  637. 637.
    >Why doesn't she say something?
  638. 638.
    >"Luna, do you know what's happened?"
  639. 639.
    >No answer
  640. 640.
    >"Luna? Sister?"
  641. 641.
    >Why doesn't she answer?
  642. 642.
    >I spread my wings and fly to the servant's buildings.
  643. 643.
    >I open the door and gasp in disbelief.
  644. 644.
    >Sitting at the duty desk, is a guard, softly snoring with his head lolled back.
  645. 645.
    >How dare he sleep on duty!
  646. 646.
    >"Guard!" I say in my booming royal voice, "Wake up!"
  647. 647.
    >He doesn't budge
  648. 648.
    >I trot over and see his sleep is far from peaceful:
  649. 649.
    >his eyes are swollen and tears streak his fur.
  650. 650.
    >Sweat rolls down his body while muffled screams punctuate his whimpers.
  651. 651.
    >"Guard?" I shake him with my wings.
  652. 652.
    >Still he doesn't awaken.
  653. 653.
    >"Luna, what's going on?"
  654. 654.
    >This time she answers, but I almost wish she hadn't.
  655. 655.
     
  656. 656.
     
  657. 657.
    Post 17
  658. 658.
     
  659. 659.
    >"Hm-hm-hm-hm" her soft laughter drifts through the air.
  660. 660.
    >"Oh he's having the most marvelous dreams sister."
  661. 661.
    >The way she hisses out that last word chills me to my core.
  662. 662.
    >"They all are. Sleeping and dreaming until my night cometh again."
  663. 663.
    >"What have you done?"
  664. 664.
    >"We sent the guards home and layed them to bed. In fact, everything on this planet that can sleep, is!"
  665. 665.
    >"Why? Let them go!"
  666. 666.
    >"Hahahahahaha! Oh sister, Thou used to love our jokes. How often did thee say thou adored our sense of humor?"
  667. 667.
    >I looked at the guard, shivering and weeping in his sleep.
  668. 668.
    >"This..." I gestured to him "this is funny to you?"
  669. 669.
    >"No, Celestia. This is the set-up. The punchline begins when thee cometh to us."
  670. 670.
    >Come to her? Has she forgotten who I am? *What* I am?
  671. 671.
    >"I will not play your game sister. Release them at once, then, I will speak to you."
  672. 672.
    >Suddenly the guard thrashes in his sleep.
  673. 673.
    >A high keening wail erupts from all around me.
  674. 674.
    >They're all screaming. Every pony, every animal, every insect.
  675. 675.
    >Mad, piercing shrieks shattering the dawn's quiet.
  676. 676.
    >Howls born from the deepest insanity and mind-breaking terror,
  677. 677.
    >on and on, echoing and reverberating,
  678. 678.
    >assaulting from all sides.
  679. 679.
    >Then, as quickly as it began, they fall silent.
  680. 680.
    >Luna's disembodied voice speaks again.
  681. 681.
    >"Thou will, of course, because thee wants us to stop, dost thou not, sister?"
  682. 682.
    >This couldn't be happening
  683. 683.
    >She couldn't mean this.
  684. 684.
    >My sister
  685. 685.
    >*My* sister
  686. 686.
    >My *sister*
  687. 687.
    >How could she do this?
  688. 688.
    >Tears fall freely from my face
  689. 689.
    >I don't care
  690. 690.
    >"Luna..." I manage to sob
  691. 691.
    >"Well, come and stop us. Thy surely knoweth where we are."
  692. 692.
    >"Luna, please..."
  693. 693.
    >"No, sister! Come to us. Now is not the time for fear. That comes later."
  694. 694.
     
  695. 695.
     
  696. 696.
    Post 18
  697. 697.
     
  698. 698.
    >I'm crying
  699. 699.
    >I can't help it
  700. 700.
    >How could she do this?
  701. 701.
    >Oh my dear sister...
  702. 702.
    >I could end it now, release them myself, but that might drive Luna mad.
  703. 703.
    >It might even enrage her such that I'll have to...
  704. 704.
    >No, I won't let myself consider that.
  705. 705.
    >I'll have to talk to her.
  706. 706.
    >To make her understand there's only one way this can end.
  707. 707.
    >That hers is only to choose where she stands when it does.
  708. 708.
    >"Oh my dear sister..."
  709. 709.
    >She was right too, I do know where she is.
  710. 710.
    >The alcove behind our thrones.
  711. 711.
    >Where we used to meet before going out and changing the sky together.
  712. 712.
    >A quick teleport,
  713. 713.
    >and there she is: standing before me, wearing a cruel smile.
  714. 714.
    >"See, sister? We said thou would come."
  715. 715.
    >"Luna, what are... WHY are you doing this?"
  716. 716.
    >"Luna?" She smirks "Are we not *sisters*?"
  717. 717.
    >"Yes," I nod.
  718. 718.
    >"We are sisters, Luna, because I made you so."
  719. 719.
    >Her smirk changes to a snarl.
  720. 720.
    >"Have you forgotten what I am? I am a goddess! Creator of both sun and moon."
  721. 721.
    >"I made the world! I gave life to it! Who are you to defy me?"
  722. 722.
    >Her face is a mask of frustrated rage.
  723. 723.
    >Can't she understand how hopeless her position is?
  724. 724.
    >"We too, are a goddess! Thou said so thyself! That one day we would be thy equal!"
  725. 725.
    >"And you think that day has come?"
  726. 726.
    >"We are the night! We are the darkness! We are the bringer of dreams and the source of fear!"
  727. 727.
    >"Luna..."
  728. 728.
    >"They will love the night, if not for its beauty, then for its solace from the terrors of the day!"
  729. 729.
    >"They will cower in fear at the mere thought of the light!"
  730. 730.
    >Her horn glows, and they're screaming again.
  731. 731.
    >Every throat on the planet screeching itself raw.
  732. 732.
    >"They will love us! They will love ME!"
  733. 733.
    >Louder and louder, their mad voices penetrating even the thick stone walls.
  734. 734.
    >"They will worship the peace I allow them only when the darkness falls!"
  735. 735.
    >"Luna!"
  736. 736.
    >"Shut up, Celestia! Now is the time for fear! Stop me if you can!"
  737. 737.
     
  738. 738.
     
  739. 739.
    Post 19
  740. 740.
     
  741. 741.
    >This isn't working
  742. 742.
    >And I can't let my ponies continue to suffer.
  743. 743.
    >Oh sister, please forgive me.
  744. 744.
    >I must save them from you, but I'm also saving you from yourself.
  745. 745.
    >One day, you'll understand.
  746. 746.
    >You must...
  747. 747.
    >I call on my power, only a very little bit more than I'm used to.
  748. 748.
    >Suddenly the screaming stops.
  749. 749.
    >Luna's face jerks towards me with a shocked expression.
  750. 750.
    >I force down my tears.
  751. 751.
    >"No more of this Luna. You can't hurt them anymore."
  752. 752.
    >Her horn glows, then blazes. Her face contorting with effort and rage.
  753. 753.
    >Easily countered.
  754. 754.
    >My sleeping subjects don't even stir from her renewed attack.
  755. 755.
    >"NO!"
  756. 756.
    >I calmly raise my snout.
  757. 757.
    >She glares at me with a hatred and malevolence I'd never believed possible,
  758. 758.
    >then all at once collapses to the floor, sobs gushing from her in an uncontrolled torrent.
  759. 759.
    >Her tears and moans wrack her frame from nose to tail.
  760. 760.
    >"Please, let this be the end of it, Luna, my dear sister."
  761. 761.
    >I turn and march from the alcove,
  762. 762.
    >between our thrones and down the stairs,
  763. 763.
    >across the Great Hall,
  764. 764.
    >almost to the Grand Door, when her voice rings out behind me.
  765. 765.
    >"Not another step!"
  766. 766.
    >Oh Sister, please no.
  767. 767.
    >I slowly turn to face her.
  768. 768.
    >"Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?"
  769. 769.
    >please no
  770. 770.
    >"There can only be one princess in Equestria."
  771. 771.
    >please no
  772. 772.
    >"And that princess will be ME!"
  773. 773.
    >The stone dias crumbles beneath her powerful hooves.
  774. 774.
    >A fissure shoots up the wall behind her, and it too falls away.
  775. 775.
    >Through the hole, I see my sun, shining in the clear blue sky...
  776. 776.
    >eclipsed!
  777. 777.
     
  778. 778.
     
  779. 779.
    Post 20
  780. 780.
     
  781. 781.
    >Canterlot
  782. 782.
    >Present Day
  783. 783.
     
  784. 784.
     
  785. 785.
    >My Dear Sunset Shimmer,
  786. 786.
    >Congratulations!
  787. 787.
    >Through the great strength true friendship provides, you defeated 3 ancient, powerful terrors!
  788. 788.
    >You are a brilliant, educated pony;
  789. 789.
    >you don't need me to tell you how this accomplishment shines!
  790. 790.
    >Even though a part of me indulges in the idea of you relishing my praise.
  791. 791.
    >What I wish to discuss, is your other accomplishment:
  792. 792.
    >reformation.
  793. 793.
    >We tell ourselves a myriad of stories about, and justifications for our actions.
  794. 794.
    >Our minds remember, forget, and reinterpret events in ways that make us appear laudible.
  795. 795.
    >This protects us, but also stunts us;
  796. 796.
    >we can't grow if we're blind to our own failings.
  797. 797.
    >Unfortunately, many are.
  798. 798.
    >Intellectually, we know "nobody's perfect",
  799. 799.
    >but when it comes to it, we lack the strength to see ourselves in the harsh light of reality.
  800. 800.
    >To drop our vanities, and see ourselves as we are,
  801. 801.
    >instead of as we imagine ourselves to be.
  802. 802.
    >They are never the same.
  803. 803.
    >This takes more fortitude than many possess,
  804. 804.
    >and even more to realize when one is wanting.
  805. 805.
    >It is difficult.
  806. 806.
    >It is painful.
  807. 807.
    >But you did it anyway. And more than that,
  808. 808.
    >YOU DID NOT TURN AWAY.
  809. 809.
    >You faced the pain, and let it drive you to become better.
  810. 810.
    >You are every bit the heroine, and so much greater than you realize.
  811. 811.
    >One day, you will be a princess.
  812. 812.
    >Because of this, there is one more thing I want to speak with you about.
  813. 813.
     
  814. 814.
     
  815. 815.
     
  816. 816.
     
  817. 817.
    Post 21
  818. 818.
     
  819. 819.
    >You know of Princess Luna's rebellion, but
  820. 820.
    >will you let me tell you a bit more?
  821. 821.
    >When I took up the Elements of Harmony against her, it was not out of necessity;
  822. 822.
    >but hope.
  823. 823.
    >I'd hoped to intimidate her in to giving up.
  824. 824.
    >She knew how powerful they were, and I thought seeing me wielding them would bring her to her senses.
  825. 825.
    >As you know they did not.
  826. 826.
    >So when I knew I could not delay any longer, I banished her,
  827. 827.
    >instead of purifying her.
  828. 828.
    >Do you know why?
  829. 829.
    >For centuries after, I told myself it was an accident;
  830. 830.
    >that in the heat of the moment, my control over the elements slipped!
  831. 831.
    >In period illustrations, I am shown pink-haired.
  832. 832.
    >I ordered it so, to further convince myself that I was flustered, not malicious.
  833. 833.
    >So flustered, in fact, that even my hair-magic faltered!
  834. 834.
    >But it was a lie.
  835. 835.
    >I did it in anger.
  836. 836.
    >Pain at my sister's betrayal, and fear for my ponies,
  837. 837.
    >wove seamlessly into a spike of rage which bore an action that haunted me for a thousand years.
  838. 838.
    >Why am I telling you this?
  839. 839.
    >Not as an excuse, but as a warning.
  840. 840.
    >You will find yourself in desperate situations.
  841. 841.
    >It is inevitable as a princess.
  842. 842.
    >I hope you will learn from my moment of weakness,
  843. 843.
    >and temper your wrath.
  844. 844.
    >I know you will not see this letter for some time.
  845. 845.
    >Since giving Twilight our book, I've begun writing, and saving them,
  846. 846.
    >because I still hope you'll return to me.
  847. 847.
    >Princess Luna has, and resumed her rightful place.
  848. 848.
    >I hope one day, you will read them, and know that even now, far across the multiverse,
  849. 849.
    >my thoughts are of you.
  850. 850.
    >There is so much hope in this one little letter.
  851. 851.
    >Long experience has taught me such hopes often go unfulfilled.
  852. 852.
    >Were you anyone else, I would not dare hold so much of it.
  853. 853.
    >But you are you. Indomitable, unstoppable you.
  854. 854.
    >I have faith in you.
  855. 855.
    >C
  856. 856.
     
  857. 857.
     
  858. 858.
    Post 22
  859. 859.
     
  860. 860.
    >Canterlot Meadow
  861. 861.
    >c1000 years ago
  862. 862.
     
  863. 863.
    >I lay in our spot and cry.
  864. 864.
    >Our spot
  865. 865.
    >Where we passed so many dawns, dusks, and gorgeous days and nights.
  866. 866.
    >This is where Luna invented the aurora;
  867. 867.
    >happily coloring her nights with the energy of my sun.
  868. 868.
    >This is where she painted my mane.
  869. 869.
    >This is where she played and explored.
  870. 870.
    >This is where she loved; her favorite place in all Equestria.
  871. 871.
    >Where our laughter echoed together time after time;
  872. 872.
    >now silent, but for the wind, and my pitiful cries.
  873. 873.
    >My sister!
  874. 874.
    >Oh, my beloved sister!
  875. 875.
    >If only you had listened!
  876. 876.
    >If only you had stopped!
  877. 877.
    >If only I'd had better control...
  878. 878.
    >My thin veneer of equanimity collapses.
  879. 879.
    >I am alone, and have no need for it.
  880. 880.
    >I scream my pain to the mountain, and let my sobs blot out my grief.
  881. 881.
    >On and on, I don't know for how long.
  882. 882.
    >Eventually, my thoughts turn to my ponies.
  883. 883.
    >All my little ponies.
  884. 884.
    >So terrified, and so desperately in need of me.
  885. 885.
    >I'd freed them from her spell, but great damage had already been done.
  886. 886.
    >They need my magic to lull them to sleep now, so traumatized are they by her nightmares.
  887. 887.
    >Nightmare Moon
  888. 888.
    >That's what they're calling her now.
  889. 889.
    >All her beautiful works, and heartfelt love forgotten.
  890. 890.
    >Hers will be a legacy of terror.
  891. 891.
    >She deserved so much better.
  892. 892.
    >Again misery overtakes me, and I cry awful, wracking cries.
  893. 893.
    >My heart tears from me and spills over the meadow.
  894. 894.
    >Our meadow
  895. 895.
    >The workers are already repairing my castle, but it's filled with bad memories.
  896. 896.
    >My heart weeps every time I look on it.
  897. 897.
    >But our meadow is filled with happy ones.
  898. 898.
    >I lower Luna's now-marred moon knowing what to do:
  899. 899.
    >abandon the Castle of the Two Sisters, and raise one here.
  900. 900.
    >Canterlot Castle!
  901. 901.
    >The dawn breaks, and washes me in its brilliant radiance.
  902. 902.
    >A new beginning for my ponies, and also for me.
  903. 903.
    >No more the distant monarch
  904. 904.
    >No more the goddess
  905. 905.
    >From now, until the end of Equestria I will be the kind and warm leader they deserve.
  906. 906.
    >I love them all so much, and now they will know it!
  907. 907.
     
  908. 908.
     
  909. 909.
    Post 23
  910. 910.
     
  911. 911.
    >Canterlot
  912. 912.
    >Present day
  913. 913.
     
  914. 914.
    >It's a lovely day.
  915. 915.
    >There isn't a cloud to be seen,
  916. 916.
    >my sun is warm,
  917. 917.
    >and my garden is filled with the perfume of flowers.
  918. 918.
    >Best of all, I have a new tea to try!
  919. 919.
    >For hundreds of years I've cultivated tea plants as a hobby.
  920. 920.
    >Some of my blends, and strains are enjoyed well beyond the borders of Equestria proper.
  921. 921.
    >Now, after nearly 4 decades of selective breeding, and magical tweaking,
  922. 922.
    >I think I've made yet another delight!
  923. 923.
    >Of course, there's only one way to be sure!
  924. 924.
    >I smile in anticipation as I bring the cup to my lips, it's delicate bouquet filling my nostrils.
  925. 925.
    >I pause a moment and marvel at the sight of my kingdom;
  926. 926.
    >Cloudsdale shines distantly in the bright sunlight,
  927. 927.
    >its alabaster spires contrasting beautifully with the blue sky.
  928. 928.
    >Ponyville nestled idyllically in the rolling hills to the southwest,
  929. 929.
    >their slopes dark with fecund apple trees.
  930. 930.
    >I close my eyes and sigh, savoring the moment.
  931. 931.
    >At last I drink,
  932. 932.
    >savoring also, the feeling of its warm astringence meeting my tongue.
  933. 933.
    >This is delicious!
  934. 934.
    >Even when measured against the absurdly high standards of my gardens.
  935. 935.
    >I think I'll give it a name to honor Luna.
  936. 936.
    >She was the one who introduced me to tea, after all,
  937. 937.
    >back when she was still an earth-pony.
  938. 938.
    >The sound of a door being hurriedly opened intrudes on my reverie.
  939. 939.
    >A guard pony canters down my arcade, looking rather worried.
  940. 940.
    >I nonchalantly take another sip.
  941. 941.
    >He leaps from the top of the stairs with his wings spread and glides to the grass.
  942. 942.
    >Such urgency; it was only a few little steps.
  943. 943.
    >He stops a few meters away, and bows deeply.
  944. 944.
    >I regard him with a smile, and take another sip.
  945. 945.
    >"Princess! You ordered to be notified at once, if your alarms on the mirror were tripped!"
  946. 946.
    >My heart skips a beat.
  947. 947.
    >I hold the liquid on my tongue.
  948. 948.
    >Could it be?
  949. 949.
    >After all this time, has she at last come back?
  950. 950.
    >"Yes, has somepony come through?"
  951. 951.
    >"Not exactly, Your Highness..."
  952. 952.
     
  953. 953.
     
  954. 954.
    Post 24
  955. 955.
     
  956. 956.
    >I'm on my balcony
  957. 957.
    >It's nearing sunset, and the air is cool.
  958. 958.
    >A speck appears on the horizon, toward Ponyville.
  959. 959.
    >It's so distant, it seems to hang motionless in the sky,
  960. 960.
    >but I know it's moving with considerable speed.
  961. 961.
    >Gradually, it draws closer, and my eyes resolve it:
  962. 962.
    >Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, glowing in my sun's red light.
  963. 963.
    >My eyes track her progress as my mind puzzles over the days events.
  964. 964.
    >Some pegasus guards intercept her, then quickly let her pass.
  965. 965.
    >She comes straight to me, landing quickly, her face filled with concern.
  966. 966.
    >"Is it true?"
  967. 967.
    >I quietly nod.
  968. 968.
    >Her ears and tail droop
  969. 969.
    >"Oh, Twilight...I came as soon as I heard. I teleported right to Ponyville to check for myself."
  970. 970.
    >Her frown deepens
  971. 971.
    >"Even when I couldn't find her, I still hoped she might have come here."
  972. 972.
    >"Not yet, Cadance, but if she does, we'll know; Equestria is on high alert."
  973. 973.
    >She licks her lips and begins to pace
  974. 974.
    >"Yes, so is the Crystal Empire. This would be a clumsy prelude to attack, but I agree it's prudent."
  975. 975.
    >Suddenly, she stops, and looks at me, shifting her weight from left to right uncertainly.
  976. 976.
    >"What can I do?"
  977. 977.
    >"Luna is patrolling the Everfree Forest, you may help her, if you wish."
  978. 978.
    >"What's she looking for?"
  979. 979.
    >"Portals"
  980. 980.
    >Her brow furrows
  981. 981.
    >"But I saw the mirror, still in Twilight's castle."
  982. 982.
    >"Cadance, as you know, when she found a way to keep it open, I swathed it in alarm-spells..."
  983. 983.
    >"Also prudent" she says, too quickly.
  984. 984.
    >"Thank you. Right now, those are the only enchantments it still carries."
  985. 985.
    >"Was the portal dispelled?"
  986. 986.
    >I shake my head
  987. 987.
    >"Torn free, I think. Without the mirror to anchor it, the mouth will leap about unpredictably."
  988. 988.
    >"...and the forest's magical nature makes it the most likely place for it to appear!" She finishes.
  989. 989.
    >I nod
  990. 990.
    >"The portal is gone, Princess Twilight is g...gone; do you think she went through it?
  991. 991.
    >I am about to answer, when Cadance shivers visibly and a familiar chill shoots up my spine.
  992. 992.
    >"Sister! Princess Cadance! We have found a portal!"
  993. 993.
     
  994. 994.
     
  995. 995.
    Post 25
  996. 996.
     
  997. 997.
    >High over Equestria
  998. 998.
    >A few years ago
  999. 999.
     
  1000. 1000.
    >Even as old as I am, I can still be surprised.
  1001. 1001.
    >And that knowledge pleases me greatly.
  1002. 1002.
    >Moments ago, an incredible burst of magic swept across my world.
  1003. 1003.
    >I felt it, and so did my ponies.
  1004. 1004.
    >All at once, everywhere on my planet, their moods and dreams sweetened, though they didn't know why.
  1005. 1005.
    >I do:
  1006. 1006.
    >love.
  1007. 1007.
    >Pure, unconditional love powerful enough to bend reality itself.
  1008. 1008.
    >But what could have caused it?
  1009. 1009.
    >Instantly, I'd cast my sight across Equestria to it's source, not knowing what to expect.
  1010. 1010.
    >Certainly not expecting what I found!
  1011. 1011.
    >A little pink pegasus filly,
  1012. 1012.
    >standing in the snow, with a grown unicorn weeping at her hooves.
  1013. 1013.
    >I watch as the unicorn embraces her, and gives her a necklace:
  1014. 1014.
    >a crystaline heart bound in twine, blazing with invisible magic.
  1015. 1015.
    >Literally a heart,
  1016. 1016.
    >cut from the chest of a siren, meant to enslave it's victims, and deaden their souls.
  1017. 1017.
    >It's raw magical power dwarfs that of either the filly, or the unicorn, but it's different now:
  1018. 1018.
    >shining and pure.
  1019. 1019.
    >It's selfish malice somehow transformed by love.
  1020. 1020.
    >Her love.
  1021. 1021.
    >That's incredible!
  1022. 1022.
    >That's potential!
  1023. 1023.
    >The kind I've found only once before in my poor, lost sister.
  1024. 1024.
    >Unbidden, memories of her leap to the forefront of my mind. Still painful,
  1025. 1025.
    >but after all these years, a deep, dull ache, instead of raw, overwhelming anguish.
  1026. 1026.
    >I must sieze this chance!
  1027. 1027.
    >The unicorn steps into her cave, and I act,
  1028. 1028.
    >teleporting the filly, and myself to this special place.
  1029. 1029.
    >She blinks, looking thoroughly confused.
  1030. 1030.
    >"Where am...Princess!"
  1031. 1031.
    >Her eyes widen the moment she sees me
  1032. 1032.
    >"It's ok, my little pony, there's no need to be afraid."
  1033. 1033.
    >She regards me uncertainly for a moment, then relaxes.
  1034. 1034.
    >"Not as long as you're here...Your Highness."
  1035. 1035.
    >I smile at that
  1036. 1036.
    >"What's your name, little one?"
  1037. 1037.
    >"Cadance, Your Highness."
  1038. 1038.
    >"What a beautiful name."
  1039. 1039.
    >She breaks in to a smile.
  1040. 1040.
    >"Thank you, Your Highness."
  1041. 1041.
    >I beam back at her
  1042. 1042.
    >"You may call me Celestia, Cadance."
  1043. 1043.
     
  1044. 1044.
     
  1045. 1045.
    Post 26
  1046. 1046.
     
  1047. 1047.
    >"Oh, no" she shakes her head "I could never do that, Your Highness!"
  1048. 1048.
    >"Well..." I say with an exaggerated frown
  1049. 1049.
    >"you don't have to, but I'd very much like it if we could be friends."
  1050. 1050.
    >She tilts her head to one side, and her candy-striped mane falls over her shoulders.
  1051. 1051.
    >She seems utterly entranced by the possibility.
  1052. 1052.
    >"You want to be my friend?"
  1053. 1053.
    >"Mm-hmm," I nod "and maybe talk a little bit. Would you like that?"
  1054. 1054.
    >"A lot!"
  1055. 1055.
    >"Good!" I say with my warmest smile. "Cadance, do you know why I've brought you here?"
  1056. 1056.
    >"No, Pri...C...Celestia." Her voice shrinks to a whisper at my name. "I don't even know where we are."
  1057. 1057.
    >She finally pulls her eyes from me and looks around
  1058. 1058.
    >For what seems like the first time, she notices she is standing on "nothing":
  1059. 1059.
    >a floor of pure magical force, and far, far below it, my world spread out like a shining gem.
  1060. 1060.
    >A satisfying gasp as her little jaw drops.
  1061. 1061.
    >"We're high above Equestria. Right over Canterlot, in fact."
  1062. 1062.
    >She peers through the floor
  1063. 1063.
    >"Wow, Canterlot?"
  1064. 1064.
    >"Mm-hmm, and you're here, because I want to give you a present."
  1065. 1065.
    >"A present, for me?"
  1066. 1066.
    >"It's not a present you can hold, Cadance, but it's very, very special. One day, it will change you."
  1067. 1067.
    >Her brows furrow "Change me?"
  1068. 1068.
    >"Yes, child. One day, when you're ready, it will give you a new strength, and a very special job to do."
  1069. 1069.
    >I can see her mind is working furiously;
  1070. 1070.
    >she's young, but maybe she can understand even if I don't simplify it so much?
  1071. 1071.
    >"You'll become like me, Cadance. And if you do your job right, if you love your ponies, and take care of them,"
  1072. 1072.
    >"They will all love you in turn."
  1073. 1073.
    >"Like the way we love you?"
  1074. 1074.
    >What can I say to that? What words can adequately express the way they make my heart leap?
  1075. 1075.
    >Fortunately, she speaks up almost immediately:
  1076. 1076.
    >"If it means I can help more ponies, then I want it!"
  1077. 1077.
    >"Are you sure? Once I give it to you, it becomes part of you. You won't be able to change your mind."
  1078. 1078.
     
  1079. 1079.
     
  1080. 1080.
    Post 27
  1081. 1081.
     
  1082. 1082.
    >She nods with surprising solemnity.
  1083. 1083.
    >"I'm sure."
  1084. 1084.
    >"Then close your eyes, Cadance, and open your heart."
  1085. 1085.
    >For show, I gently tap her head with my horn, and silently will the spark to pass to her.
  1086. 1086.
    >Instantly, a burst of light shoots from her chest.
  1087. 1087.
    >I laugh in delighted surprise! So soon?
  1088. 1088.
    >It swirls and jumps around her, and carries her tiny frame into the air.
  1089. 1089.
    >Now she's smiling too, her face shining with sheer bliss.
  1090. 1090.
    >"It's so warm!"
  1091. 1091.
    >She floats, engulfed in a brilliant light, growing, and feeding upon itself.
  1092. 1092.
    >It surges back through her body, and up her neck, pouring from her eyes.
  1093. 1093.
    >She lets loose an exhilarated yell as it bursts from her forehead in a searing flash of pure magic,
  1094. 1094.
    >leaving a radiant spire in it's wake.
  1095. 1095.
    >She floats, laughing and languidly spinning about her axes.
  1096. 1096.
    >Gradually sinking lower and lower as the light fades away.
  1097. 1097.
    >At last, her hooves touch the ground.
  1098. 1098.
    >Her eyes are crossed, focused on her new horn.
  1099. 1099.
    >She grins soundlessly, twisting her head from side to side, and turns in a complete circle.
  1100. 1100.
    >"What happens now, Celestia?"
  1101. 1101.
    >I'm not sure how to answer.
  1102. 1102.
    >Nightmare Moon announced her arrival with a spasm of hate and fear so keen
  1103. 1103.
    >that even a thousand years later its wound still has not healed.
  1104. 1104.
    >Cadance announced hers with a wave of calming love,
  1105. 1105.
    >pure enough to wash the taint from a siren's dead heart.
  1106. 1106.
    >I don't know what happens now, but for the first time in far, far too long,
  1107. 1107.
    >I know genuine hope.
  1108. 1108.
     
  1109. 1109.
     
  1110. 1110.
    Post 28
  1111. 1111.
     
  1112. 1112.
    >The Everfree Forest
  1113. 1113.
    >Present Day
  1114. 1114.
     
  1115. 1115.
    >The stench of the forest's air washes over me as my teleport spell completes.
  1116. 1116.
    >A fraction of a second later, Cadance pops in to being beside me.
  1117. 1117.
    >"Where is it?" she hurriedly asks.
  1118. 1118.
    >Luna indicates a direction with her nose
  1119. 1119.
    >"It was there, for a moment."
  1120. 1120.
    >Cadance follows Luna's gesture, then stares at the ground, tears welling in her eyes.
  1121. 1121.
    >"Did you see Twilight?"
  1122. 1122.
    >"No, Princess Cadance, we are sorry."
  1123. 1123.
    >A single sharp sob escapes Cadance's lips
  1124. 1124.
    >Luna gently nuzzles her, and softly:
  1125. 1125.
    >"But as we said, there was not much time."
  1126. 1126.
    >I look around at our surroundings.
  1127. 1127.
    >This part of the Everfree is notorious.
  1128. 1128.
    >More swamp, than woods, and filled with ghost-lights and strange, dangerous things.
  1129. 1129.
    >Even the few ponies who regularly brave the forest itself, avoid it at all costs.
  1130. 1130.
    >But here my fearless sister had come alone, at night, without a moments hesitation.
  1131. 1131.
    >For Twilight.
  1132. 1132.
    >My heart would swell with pride, if I weren't so worried.
  1133. 1133.
    >I trot over and stand with them, wrapping my wings around their shoulders.
  1134. 1134.
    >We hold each other tightly until at last, Cadance is calm.
  1135. 1135.
    >"Please, Sister, tell us everything you can."
  1136. 1136.
    >Luna closes her eyes and concentrates for a moment.
  1137. 1137.
    >"First we felt great mirth overtake us, as if laughter, humor itself were a presence."
  1138. 1138.
    >I recall Twilight's mention of the Elements of Harmony in the human-world.
  1139. 1139.
    >"Then a purple glow appeared, and opened into a rift."
  1140. 1140.
    >"We rushed closer, and heard music, of a kind we've never heard before."
  1141. 1141.
    >Her snout scrunches in consternation
  1142. 1142.
    >"We didn't even recognize the instruments."
  1143. 1143.
    >"Also, there were voices, but we could not hear what they were saying."
  1144. 1144.
    >Cadance speaks up
  1145. 1145.
    >"Could you see anything through it?"
  1146. 1146.
    >"Yes. There was a wall, of sorts: horizontal wooden boards, secured to an iron frame."
  1147. 1147.
    >"with gaps between them, and a strange creature was peeking through."
  1148. 1148.
     
  1149. 1149.
     
  1150. 1150.
    Post 29
  1151. 1151.
     
  1152. 1152.
    >"Did it see you?" I asked.
  1153. 1153.
    >She shook her head
  1154. 1154.
    >"We don't believe so; the portal closed before we could approach it."
  1155. 1155.
    >"Well," began Cadance "at least you found something."
  1156. 1156.
    >She smiles, and gives a strained laugh.
  1157. 1157.
    >"Really, it's lucky it opened close enough for you to find it."
  1158. 1158.
    >"Oh, it was not mere chance, Princess Cadance; we used a beacon spell to draw it to us."
  1159. 1159.
    >Again, I am impressed by my sister's selfless bravery.
  1160. 1160.
    >"That's very dangerous, especially here."
  1161. 1161.
    >Says Cadance, echoing my thoughts.
  1162. 1162.
    >"There's no telling what else might have come instead."
  1163. 1163.
    >"No, but we are as desperate to find Princess Twilight as you or Sister;"
  1164. 1164.
    >"we would be remiss if we did not use all the tools at our disposal."
  1165. 1165.
    >I set my wing on her back.
  1166. 1166.
    >"Sister, please," I whisper "don't do that again. Not alone."
  1167. 1167.
    >She looks at me, with a small frown, then nods.
  1168. 1168.
    >"Not alone." She agrees, pressing her neck to mine.
  1169. 1169.
    >We stand in silence a few moments, then quietly, Luna continues.
  1170. 1170.
    >"There is more."
  1171. 1171.
    >The magic was a tangled mess, but we could recognize a few signatures: one was the portal itself;
  1172. 1172.
    >others were Elements of Harmony: Generosity and Laughter.
  1173. 1173.
    >Cadance's gasp tells me she is as surprised as I am
  1174. 1174.
    >"But how is that possible?"
  1175. 1175.
    >"We suspect, it's because the largest portion..." she pauses,
  1176. 1176.
    >"was siren magic."
  1177. 1177.
    >That would explain it. Sirens absorb life and emotion, why not magic too?
  1178. 1178.
    >But I'd never imagined a siren could become powerful enough to destroy the gate.
  1179. 1179.
    >"Twilight said the trio on that side were defeated, their gems broken."
  1180. 1180.
    >"You're sure it was siren magic?"
  1181. 1181.
    >"We are. It was unmistakable, mangled, though it was."
  1182. 1182.
    >"Mangled?"
  1183. 1183.
    >"Yes..." Luna frowns
  1184. 1184.
    >"We don't know a better word to describe it."
  1185. 1185.
    >"Prismia used the heart of a siren as jewelry, and a weapon."
  1186. 1186.
    >Says Cadance.
  1187. 1187.
    >"Could somepony there have made something from the fragments?"
  1188. 1188.
    >A look of comprehension sweeps across Luna's face.
  1189. 1189.
    >"That's it!"
  1190. 1190.
     
  1191. 1191.
     
  1192. 1192.
    Post 30
  1193. 1193.
     
  1194. 1194.
    >"The wall partially blocked our view, but the creature was wearing a locket."
  1195. 1195.
    >Cadance looks at me worriedly.
  1196. 1196.
    >"It glowed with the same violet light that preceded the rift,"
  1197. 1197.
    >"and when the creature closed it, the portal disappeared."
  1198. 1198.
    >"A locket?"
  1199. 1199.
    >"Yes, that's the source of the magic, I'm sure!"
  1200. 1200.
    >"Then we've learned something" I say.
  1201. 1201.
    >"Is there anything else, sister?"
  1202. 1202.
    >She shakes her head.
  1203. 1203.
    >I stand silently, turning ideas over in my mind.
  1204. 1204.
    >As Cadance said, this would be a clumsy attack on Equestria,
  1205. 1205.
    >but it would be a good first move if the sirens wanted revenge.
  1206. 1206.
    >Kidnapping Twilight, and closing the portal would isolate Sunset and the humans from our help.
  1207. 1207.
    >However, Sunset's new letters to Twilight don't mention them,
  1208. 1208.
    >and my alarms would have tripped if anypony had crossed through.
  1209. 1209.
    >Also, without their gems, they are powerless, certainly incapable of this,
  1210. 1210.
    >or defeating an Alicorn, and extremely gifted unicorn working together.
  1211. 1211.
    >It's probably not them.
  1212. 1212.
    >In fact, it's unlikely that Twilight is on their side of the portal;
  1213. 1213.
    >my alarms again, and the fact Sunset wouldn't be asking for her help via the book if she were.
  1214. 1214.
    >If Twilight isn't there, that makes siren involvement even less likely.
  1215. 1215.
    >But where could she be?
  1216. 1216.
    >If I knew where the portal led I could open one, and find out immediately.
  1217. 1217.
    >But I don't, and it will do no good to open them randomly in an infinite multiverse.
  1218. 1218.
    >"There's nothing for us to do now, but wait for it to open."
  1219. 1219.
    >"Cadance," I turn to her.
  1220. 1220.
    >"it seems less likely than ever that this is an attack,"
  1221. 1221.
    >"but I would like you to return to Canterlot, both to alert us if Twilight returns,
  1222. 1222.
    >and to coordinate a defense if it becomes necessary."
  1223. 1223.
    >She nods.
  1224. 1224.
    >"We'll contact you at midnight, dawn, noon, and dusk. If you don't hear from us,"
  1225. 1225.
    >"you may use farsight, but don't come looking for us. A royal must remain in Equestria."
  1226. 1226.
    >"Sister, I will remain here with you, and continue the beacon."
  1227. 1227.
    >She nods too.
  1228. 1228.
    >"Are there any questions?"
  1229. 1229.
     
  1230. 1230.
     
  1231. 1231.
     
  1232. 1232.
    Post 31
  1233. 1233.
     
  1234. 1234.
    >Midnight came.
  1235. 1235.
    >My dear sister wrought her magic, and I kept her safe.
  1236. 1236.
    >Dawn, and Princess Cadance asks to replace one of us.
  1237. 1237.
    >"I have never needed sleep" I tell her, "and Luna has been an Alicorn far longer than you."
  1238. 1238.
    >"Enjoyable as it may be, I doubt she requires it any longer."
  1239. 1239.
    >Reluctantly, Cadance had acquiesced, and we continued our vigil.
  1240. 1240.
    >Noon, but you wouldn't know it by my sun.
  1241. 1241.
    >Here the shadows are dark, and the waters deep,
  1242. 1242.
    >but my gaze penetrates it all:
  1243. 1243.
    >I see *things* lurking around us:
  1244. 1244.
    >Nightmares oozed, putrid and malevolent from cracks in reality.
  1245. 1245.
    >Products of evolution and feral magic also slink and crawl.
  1246. 1246.
    >None of these are creatures born of my work, but still they know me.
  1247. 1247.
    >And they dare not approach.
  1248. 1248.
    >Hours pass in uneventful, if oppressive silence.
  1249. 1249.
    >I glance at my sister, her eyes open, but unseeing, and still as a frozen lake.
  1250. 1250.
    >Exactly as she has been since Cadance left us.
  1251. 1251.
    >The steady light from her horn is the only clue that she is more than a statue,
  1252. 1252.
    >or a corpse,
  1253. 1253.
    >and even that is swallowed by the hungry gloom.
  1254. 1254.
    >I feel it then,
  1255. 1255.
    >a warm glow of swelling empathy: kindness!
  1256. 1256.
    >Luna's eyes bat furiously as she pulls herself from her trance.
  1257. 1257.
    >Our gazes meet for an instant, then wordlessly, we look about,
  1258. 1258.
    >scanning frantically for what we know is coming.
  1259. 1259.
    >There! across the swamp, a purple light among the vine-cowed trunks,
  1260. 1260.
    >fantastically bright in the darkness.
  1261. 1261.
    >Then another, and another, each following as quickly as thought.
  1262. 1262.
    >As one they open in to gates, and Luna rushes toward them.
  1263. 1263.
     
  1264. 1264.
     
  1265. 1265.
    Post 32
  1266. 1266.
     
  1267. 1267.
    >Something leaps through from the swamp, and immediately returns
  1268. 1268.
    >pursued by a small, though terribly loud purple creature.
  1269. 1269.
    >They leap from puddle to tuft, and fall from one portal to another,
  1270. 1270.
    >their distorted shadows casting wildly about by the sunlight spilling from the portal's mouths.
  1271. 1271.
    >The glare doesn't hinder me, and I look through them.
  1272. 1272.
    >Bushes, grass, portions of a brick wall, 2 humans,
  1273. 1273.
    >and there, just as sister said!
  1274. 1274.
    >A pendant, floating around the neck of one, blazing in it's insane melange of sorceries.
  1275. 1275.
    >She's almost there, but already, I can see one of the humans wrapping her hands around it.
  1276. 1276.
    >Sister won't make it in time, and they are too small for her to fit through anyway.
  1277. 1277.
    >As quickly as only a goddess can, I reach through the portal with my mind.
  1278. 1278.
    >My senses stretch, searching for Twilight and...
  1279. 1279.
    >Sunset! Oh Sunset!
  1280. 1280.
    >My heart leaps as I brush her essence.
  1281. 1281.
    >Then, without warning, I see only the swamp again.
  1282. 1282.
    >The portals have closed, but that doesn't matter.
  1283. 1283.
    >I have already discovered what I needed to know.
  1284. 1284.
    >The amulet's base magic is undoubtably siren, but the one wearing it is only human.
  1285. 1285.
    >Worryingly, there were also the elements of Generosity, Laughter, and Kindness.
  1286. 1286.
    >But more than anything else, there was Sunset.
  1287. 1287.
    >"Sister, are you hurt? Why are you crying?"
  1288. 1288.
    >I blink in surprise as happy tears fall from my eyes.
  1289. 1289.
    >"No Luna, I found Sunset."
  1290. 1290.
    >She bobs her head and touches my nose with her own.
  1291. 1291.
    >"Tears of joy then?"
  1292. 1292.
    >"Mm-hmm." I nod.
  1293. 1293.
    >"And Twilight?"
  1294. 1294.
    >I shake my head
  1295. 1295.
    >"She's not there."
  1296. 1296.
    >"That is why you let them collapse?"
  1297. 1297.
    >"Yes. And Sunset... Sunset is close."
  1298. 1298.
    >Luna looks at me quietly in response, her thoughts nearly hidden behind her deep, placid eyes.
  1299. 1299.
    >"So she must solve this problem on her own."
  1300. 1300.
    >It wasn't a question.
  1301. 1301.
    >It didn't need to be.
  1302. 1302.
    >A few more tears fall, and I whisper so softly not even Luna can hear.
  1303. 1303.
    >"Good luck."
  1304. 1304.
     
  1305. 1305.
     
  1306. 1306.
    Post 33
  1307. 1307.
     
  1308. 1308.
    >Twilight did not go through the mirror.
  1309. 1309.
    >We finally knew, but the question still remained:
  1310. 1310.
    >where was she?
  1311. 1311.
    >The query burned within us all,
  1312. 1312.
    >but with no more clues, there was precious little we could do.
  1313. 1313.
    >I was all but certain we weren't under attack,
  1314. 1314.
    >but it was conceivable the Yaks, or Changelings would learn something was amiss,
  1315. 1315.
    >and try to take whatever advantage they could.
  1316. 1316.
    >So, Cadance continued her organisation of Equestria's defence.
  1317. 1317.
    >Luna resumed her patrols,
  1318. 1318.
    >no longer calling the rifts, but instead, keeping my ponies safe from them.
  1319. 1319.
    >I returned to Twilight's castle, in hopes of finding something,
  1320. 1320.
    >*anything*, that would tell us what had become of her.
  1321. 1321.
    >I wandered about, inspecting each room, and every strange device I found.
  1322. 1322.
    >Twilight infused the place.
  1323. 1323.
    >Her scent, her magic, her very essence.
  1324. 1324.
    >The hard crystal walls glimmered and shone and reflected images of her from my mind.
  1325. 1325.
    >But my search was fruitless.
  1326. 1326.
    >Sister called me some time later,
  1327. 1327.
    >her disembodied voice breaking the silence of the dark halls to tell me of another portal.
  1328. 1328.
    >I felt it then, too; Honesty.
  1329. 1329.
    >But it didn't close.
  1330. 1330.
    >It grew, and grew, and I knew it would be trouble.
  1331. 1331.
    >Luna told me later that the swamp's carnivorous plants pushed their tendrils through the portals.
  1332. 1332.
    >Some of them even fit their entire heads through.
  1333. 1333.
    >But they were far from Ponyville, and no longer held the promise of Twilight's delivery.
  1334. 1334.
    >She was content to watch from afar until they winked out of existence,
  1335. 1335.
    >and I was content to let her.
  1336. 1336.
    >Moments after it closed, another opened.
  1337. 1337.
    >Loyalty, that time,
  1338. 1338.
    >and worse, it wasn't in the forest.
  1339. 1339.
    >But it too, was short-lived, and vanished.
  1340. 1340.
    >The siren-magic was getting out of hoof, but I remained at my task;
  1341. 1341.
    >Luna and Cadance would protect my ponies, and I would find Twilight.
  1342. 1342.
     
  1343. 1343.
     
  1344. 1344.
    Post 34
  1345. 1345.
     
  1346. 1346.
    >Eventually, I make my way to her grand hall.
  1347. 1347.
    >The roots of the Golden Oak hang in the gloom like some tentacled horror from the Immaterium.
  1348. 1348.
    >This isn't working, and I must not fail.
  1349. 1349.
    >I have to go deeper.
  1350. 1350.
    >I expand my awareness, and in an instant know everything there is to know about the palace.
  1351. 1351.
    >Every facet, every groove,
  1352. 1352.
    >every mote of dust and every atom.
  1353. 1353.
    >All the forces and energies binding them together,
  1354. 1354.
    >and each tiny measure of the time which stops everything from happening all at once.
  1355. 1355.
    >Here, far below the threshold at which I normally leave my senses:
  1356. 1356.
    >the lingering scent of an unfamilliar pony, and a faint frisson of magic.
  1357. 1357.
    >Time magic.
  1358. 1358.
    >I recoil in horrified surprise.
  1359. 1359.
    >Could their shared presence really be a coincidence?
  1360. 1360.
    >Unlikely, but of course,
  1361. 1361.
    >I wouldn't have believed that Twilight's and the portal's disappearances were either.
  1362. 1362.
    >Even though they seem to be just that, there's more here.
  1363. 1363.
    >Fear. Twilight's fear,
  1364. 1364.
    >and the other pony's scent stinks of anger.
  1365. 1365.
    >For the thousandth time, I cast my sight across Ponyville,
  1366. 1366.
    >but there were none I didn't recognize.
  1367. 1367.
    >I search more broadly, sending my awareness down roads and rivers,
  1368. 1368.
    >Through woods, fields, and buildings.
  1369. 1369.
    >All throughout my land I search,
  1370. 1370.
    >but find not a trace of Twilight, or this other pony.
  1371. 1371.
    >If Twilight entered a portal through time, this pony probably went with her.
  1372. 1372.
    >I loathe time magic, but Twilight must be found,
  1373. 1373.
    >and I'm the only one who can do it.
  1374. 1374.
    >So I gather my strength, ponder how best to use it,
  1375. 1375.
    >and beg the multiverse itself to give her back to me.
  1376. 1376.
    >That's when the screaming started.
  1377. 1377.
     
  1378. 1378.
     
  1379. 1379.
    Post 35
  1380. 1380.
     
  1381. 1381.
    >Normally, the walls and distance between us would have prevented me from hearing them,
  1382. 1382.
    >but now, with my senses honed, they roared like thunderclaps,
  1383. 1383.
    >rising and falling with the tidal wave of siren-magic crashing over me.
  1384. 1384.
    >Another portal,
  1385. 1385.
    >spewing it's noxious stew of eldritch energies like debris in a flash flood.
  1386. 1386.
    >At once, my sight is beyond her castle, and I see it:
  1387. 1387.
    >yawning beneath a tree, right in front of the Town Hall!
  1388. 1388.
    >A half-dozen ponies are in panicked flight;
  1389. 1389.
    >it must have been them I heard.
  1390. 1390.
    >Beyond it's mouth floats a creature of terror:
  1391. 1391.
    >a human mare, bewinged, crowned with a single, malformed horn,
  1392. 1392.
    >whose mad glinting eyes are limned in cold fire.
  1393. 1393.
    >With easy waves of her hands, she tears hole after hole between our worlds;
  1394. 1394.
    >I can see Manehattan, Appeloosa, Rainbow Falls, and many others.
  1395. 1395.
    >Too many,
  1396. 1396.
    >and all of them echoing with the fearful screams of my ponies.
  1397. 1397.
    >This has to be stopped!
  1398. 1398.
    >Effortlessly, I begin casting all the spells I'll need at the same time:
  1399. 1399.
    >teleports to take me there,
  1400. 1400.
    >and to move any ponies or humans on the wrong sides of the gates;
  1401. 1401.
    >masking spells, so she won't sense my arrival;
  1402. 1402.
    >shielding spells to protect me from attack, in case she does;
  1403. 1403.
    >numerous closure spells, for the portals themselves;
  1404. 1404.
    >and a variety of attacks to annihilate her,
  1405. 1405.
    >before she can bring harm to any of my dear, dear ponies.
  1406. 1406.
    >Everything will happen in an instant,
  1407. 1407.
    >and it will be over before anypony knows anything is happening at all.
  1408. 1408.
    >Suddenly, my heart stops.
  1409. 1409.
    >Sunset Shimmer.
  1410. 1410.
    >Straight-backed and stern-faced,
  1411. 1411.
    >resolute, even beneath this monster's unhinged glare.
  1412. 1412.
    >"Twilight, you can't do this!"
  1413. 1413.
     
  1414. 1414.
     
  1415. 1415.
    Post 36
  1416. 1416.
     
  1417. 1417.
    >An image flashes to my mind:
  1418. 1418.
    >Sunset, still a filly, in Canterlot with me.
  1419. 1419.
    >We'd spent the day learning about Starswirl's victory over the sirens.
  1420. 1420.
    >"Celestia," she'd asked, "how could he be so brave if he was afraid?"
  1421. 1421.
    >"Oh Sunset," I'd replied, "that's the only time you can be."
  1422. 1422.
    >Pride and love swell within me.
  1423. 1423.
    >Oh Sunset...
  1424. 1424.
    >Magic hums and races along my horn, fighting powerfully to manifest,
  1425. 1425.
    >but I hold it in check, and watch; can she really handle this?
  1426. 1426.
    >"Why not!?"
  1427. 1427.
    >"There's a whole other world right there, and it's just filled with magic!"
  1428. 1428.
    >A flash of light, an extended limb,
  1429. 1429.
    >and she gleefully blasts another hole through the multiverse.
  1430. 1430.
    >Twilight told me there were human versions of her friends over there.
  1431. 1431.
    >Uncannily exact right down to their names.
  1432. 1432.
    >Knowing that, it makes sense that "Twilight" would be the one to make the locket.
  1433. 1433.
    >And seeing what she's doing with it
  1434. 1434.
    >is a sobering reminder of what my Twilight almost became.
  1435. 1435.
    >Of what Sunset *did* become.
  1436. 1436.
    >Until Twilight pulled her back.
  1437. 1437.
    >"But you're destroying this world to get it!"
  1438. 1438.
    >"So what? There's more magic there, and I want to understand it all!"
  1439. 1439.
    >I see it coming before Sunset does.
  1440. 1440.
    >The glimmer in the monster's eyes, the curl of her lips,
  1441. 1441.
    >and a thousand and one other clues that tell me an attack is imminent.
  1442. 1442.
    >But at the last moment, Sunset begins to dodge, and I know she'll be ok.
  1443. 1443.
    >The beam slams to the ground,
  1444. 1444.
    >sending clumps of dirt erupting from the gaping maw of another portal.
  1445. 1445.
     
  1446. 1446.
     
  1447. 1447.
    Post 37
  1448. 1448.
     
  1449. 1449.
    >Another one.
  1450. 1450.
    >This isn't the way!"
  1451. 1451.
    >The largest one yet.
  1452. 1452.
    >"I know you feel powerful right now. Like you can have everything you want."
  1453. 1453.
    >Another portal to crack my world, and endanger my ponies.
  1454. 1454.
    >"I've been where you are. I've made the same mistake you're making."
  1455. 1455.
    >I'm sorry Sunset.
  1456. 1456.
    >"I put on a crown and just like you, I was overwhelmed by the magic it contained."
  1457. 1457.
    >This is far too dangerous to let go on.
  1458. 1458.
    >"I thought it could get me everything I wanted."
  1459. 1459.
    >With images of Nightmare Moon's banishment flitting before my eyes,
  1460. 1460.
    >I tally the gates, take note of where each pony and human is,
  1461. 1461.
    >and begin to unleash my blitz.
  1462. 1462.
    >Dimly, I'm aware of my sister approaching.
  1463. 1463.
    >She must have come all the way from the Everfree.
  1464. 1464.
    >It doesn't matter now though, this will be over before she arrives.
  1465. 1465.
    >I loosen my hold, and feel the bottled energies begin to slip...
  1466. 1466.
    >and my heart stops again!
  1467. 1467.
    >Another power touches me.
  1468. 1468.
    >Familliar, potent and wholly unexpected.
  1469. 1469.
    >The Elements!
  1470. 1470.
    >Passing in brilliant, colored streamers to the locket held defiantly over Sunset's head.
  1471. 1471.
    >There's something else too.
  1472. 1472.
    >I focus my attention on her,
  1473. 1473.
    >and start as Something else stirs.
  1474. 1474.
    >Not in the locket, but inside her.
  1475. 1475.
    >Suddenly, I'm laughing like a mad-mare among Twilight's dark, vacant halls,
  1476. 1476.
    >This is it! It must be!
  1477. 1477.
    >Instantly, I drop the other spells, and teleport to my sister's side.
  1478. 1478.
    >She must not interfere!
  1479. 1479.
     
  1480. 1480.
     
  1481. 1481.
    >Post 38
  1482. 1482.
     
  1483. 1483.
    >Here, above and away from Ponyville, I watch Sunset slam the locket to the ground.
  1484. 1484.
    >It's pilfered magic bursts from the fragments,
  1485. 1485.
    >then quickly reforms and engulfs her.
  1486. 1486.
    >A shiver runs down my spine, and I know Cadance is watching, too.
  1487. 1487.
    >Luna says something to her eidolon, but I don't care to hear.
  1488. 1488.
    >I'm laughing and whooping and gliding to the surface.
  1489. 1489.
    >Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cadance materialize beside her.
  1490. 1490.
    >They trail me to the ground, regarding me with uneasy concern.
  1491. 1491.
    >They must think I'm mad.
  1492. 1492.
    >"Watch!" I flick my nose to the portal. "Can't you feel it?"
  1493. 1493.
    >Probably not, but I can!
  1494. 1494.
    >The seed inside Sunset is cracking open!
  1495. 1495.
    >It's roots are sprouting and setting her soul aflame!
  1496. 1496.
    >Divine fire burning away her mortality and forging her anew!
  1497. 1497.
    >My Sunset! My Sunset!
  1498. 1498.
    >My student turned protege,
  1499. 1499.
    >my protege turned devil,
  1500. 1500.
    >my devil reformed, and now, at long, long last:
  1501. 1501.
    >my demi-goddess!
  1502. 1502.
    >And I can FEEL it all!
  1503. 1503.
    >My sister and niece gasp as the radiance fades,
  1504. 1504.
    >I simply lay down in the soft grass.
  1505. 1505.
    >Sunset raises her arms,
  1506. 1506.
    >and in a flash the portal is closed.
  1507. 1507.
    >Two by two, all over my planet, I sense the rifts slamming shut,
  1508. 1508.
    >until only one remains.
  1509. 1509.
    >Cadance and Luna settle to the ground beside me in silence.
  1510. 1510.
    >I know they're watching me intently,
  1511. 1511.
    >but I am focused elsewhere.
  1512. 1512.
    >Long ago, when I was put to the test,
  1513. 1513.
    >my wrath bested me, and my sister paid the price.
  1514. 1514.
    >Now, across the multiverse,
  1515. 1515.
    >Sunset faces her own crucible.
  1516. 1516.
    >With furious eyes and terrible power she lashes out,
  1517. 1517.
    >the human wailing desperately as she's overwhelmed.
  1518. 1518.
    >Overwhelmed, but not destroyed.
  1519. 1519.
    >Sunset's visage is hard, and the girl cowers,
  1520. 1520.
    >but I can already read her intention.
  1521. 1521.
    >Closer she floats, in a column of light.
  1522. 1522.
    >"Take my hand Twilight. Let me show you there's another way."
  1523. 1523.
    >"Just like someone once did for me."
  1524. 1524.
    >I watch her take Sunset's hand.
  1525. 1525.
    >I watch the light of friendship burn away her bitter callousness,
  1526. 1526.
    >and sigh euphorically as the last portal is seared closed.
  1527. 1527.
     
  1528. 1528.
     
  1529. 1529.
    Post 39
  1530. 1530.
     
  1531. 1531.
    >My song birds are singing again.
  1532. 1532.
    >Their high melodies perfectly suit my mood;
  1533. 1533.
    >Twilight has returned!
  1534. 1534.
    >I can't keep the smile from my face as I set out a table in my gardens.
  1535. 1535.
    >With my own 2 hooves, no less.
  1536. 1536.
    >And horn.
  1537. 1537.
    >Cups and saucers here, sugar and cream there.
  1538. 1538.
    >Leaves of my newest prize strain steeping in the kettle,
  1539. 1539.
    >and an assortment of cakes and treats laid out just so.
  1540. 1540.
    >I'm partial to the banana cake myself, but there are plenty of others.
  1541. 1541.
    >Twilight is coming for a visit,
  1542. 1542.
    >and she's bringing a new friend with her.
  1543. 1543.
    >It turns out, the pony I'd smelled earlier, was just as guilty as I'd thought.
  1544. 1544.
    >Starlight Glimmer, quondam leader of Our Town, had hunted my student down,
  1545. 1545.
    >and tried to take her revenge by taking Twilight's past.
  1546. 1546.
    >Of course, the multiverse being what it is,
  1547. 1547.
    >such a plan would never have worked anyway.
  1548. 1548.
    >Nevertheless, incredibly, Princess Twilight not only thwarted her vengeance,
  1549. 1549.
    >but actually turned her in to a friend.
  1550. 1550.
    >Ostensibly.
  1551. 1551.
    >Although she'd used Starswirl's magic, instead of her own to create the time-bridge,
  1552. 1552.
    >it was still a remarkable feat,
  1553. 1553.
    >so I am VERY eager to meet her.
  1554. 1554.
    >I trust Twilight's judgement here, but I also trust my own experience,
  1555. 1555.
    >and would much prefer to have a pony who is both so gifted,
  1556. 1556.
    >and so recently adversarial, somewhere she can be watched.
  1557. 1557.
    >Just in case.
  1558. 1558.
    >But, my ulterior motive does not counter my putative one.
  1559. 1559.
    >I truly hope her penitence is genuine, and until I know otherwise,
  1560. 1560.
    >will treat her as a friend of Twilight's deserves to be treated.
  1561. 1561.
    >So I prance about the table, humming to myself,
  1562. 1562.
    >and match my voice to those of the birds.
  1563. 1563.
     
  1564. 1564.
     
  1565. 1565.
    Post 40
  1566. 1566.
     
  1567. 1567.
    >I hear a pony approaching.
  1568. 1568.
    >I don't need to look to know who it is.
  1569. 1569.
    >"Aunt Celestia!"
  1570. 1570.
    >"Hello, Cadance" I smile. "Are you here for the party?"
  1571. 1571.
    >Her ears perk up as she surveys the table.
  1572. 1572.
    >"Party?"
  1573. 1573.
    >"Mm-hmm. For Twilight and her new friend. I've invited them to have tea with me."
  1574. 1574.
    >"Ummm..."
  1575. 1575.
    >She looks down and awkwardly scrapes the floor with her hoof.
  1576. 1576.
    >"Actually, I have a message from Twilight."
  1577. 1577.
    >"Oh?"
  1578. 1578.
    >"Yes...she asked me to wait a little before giving it to you, though."
  1579. 1579.
    >she pauses
  1580. 1580.
    >"I wouldn't have if I'd known you were having a party."
  1581. 1581.
    >"What was the message?"
  1582. 1582.
    >"Yeah, well...oh boy."
  1583. 1583.
    >"Cadance?"
  1584. 1584.
    >"She read the book you gave her. The one to communicate with Sunset?"
  1585. 1585.
    >"Mm-hmm."
  1586. 1586.
    >"You know how excitable she is."
  1587. 1587.
    >"Mm-hmm."
  1588. 1588.
    >"Well, she didn't let me explain what happened,"
  1589. 1589.
    >"and just rushed off through the portal as quickly as her hooves would take her."
  1590. 1590.
    >"Oh."
  1591. 1591.
    >Well, darn.
  1592. 1592.
    >"So she won't be coming. What about her friend?"
  1593. 1593.
    >"Twilight didn't mention her. I don't think she knows."
  1594. 1594.
    >I nod.
  1595. 1595.
    >"That sounds like something Twilight might do."
  1596. 1596.
    >Cadance nods, still looking sheepishly at the floor.
  1597. 1597.
    >"She does love pop quizes..."
  1598. 1598.
    >Her voice trails off and we look at each other for a few moments.
  1599. 1599.
    >"Well, my dear niece, there's no reason to let this all go to waste."
  1600. 1600.
    >She perks up again
  1601. 1601.
    >"Would you care to spend the afternoon with me?"
  1602. 1602.
    >"You bet!"
  1603. 1603.
    >Shortly after we begin, the sound of a door gently opening filters down to me.
  1604. 1604.
    >I ignore it, and the clip-clop of hooves on marble.
  1605. 1605.
    >"Twilight!" Cadance shouts through a mouthful of cake.
  1606. 1606.
    >"Hi Cadance, thanks for your help!"
  1607. 1607.
    >"Anything for my favorite filly."
  1608. 1608.
    >Twilight smiles somberly, then turns to me, her purple eyes heavy with import.
  1609. 1609.
    >"Princess Celestia, There's a vital matter we need to discuss."
  1610. 1610.
     
  1611. 1611.
     
  1612. 1612.
     
  1613. 1613.
    Post 41
  1614. 1614.
     
  1615. 1615.
    >I am calm.
  1616. 1616.
    >My breath is even and measured,
  1617. 1617.
    >my snout is level and my eyes are serene.
  1618. 1618.
    >Inside, I'm anything but;
  1619. 1619.
    >my stomach flutters,
  1620. 1620.
    >and I feel the room might drop out from under me at any moment.
  1621. 1621.
    >The feeling of my hair in it's etheral breeze adds to my discomfiture.
  1622. 1622.
    >"You're hiding it well, sister" Luna not-quite-whispers.
  1623. 1623.
    >I meet her smile with one of my own;
  1624. 1624.
    >her gentle voice and kind eyes give a much needed anchor for my emotions.
  1625. 1625.
    >"Not well enough, it seems."
  1626. 1626.
    >"Oh no, sister," she says with a light chuckle. "Not even we can pierce your facade."
  1627. 1627.
    >She winks at me
  1628. 1628.
    >"We simply know you better than you give us credit for."
  1629. 1629.
    >The feeling of Cadance's delicate nuzzle on my left cheek,
  1630. 1630.
    >then, as she presses her shoulder to mine:
  1631. 1631.
    >"That's right Aunt Cely, we're your family, and we're here for you."
  1632. 1632.
    >With a smile, I lean more firmly into her, and feel Luna's weight on my right side.
  1633. 1633.
    >They're nervous too, but not like me.
  1634. 1634.
    >I'd told Luna about Sunset, and Cadance even met her briefly, years ago.
  1635. 1635.
    >They were both delighted at the emergence of another alicorn,
  1636. 1636.
    >and when Twilight said Sunset had asked her to seek my permission to return,
  1637. 1637.
    >they'd all but begged to be there when she did.
  1638. 1638.
    >Not that they needed to, of course,
  1639. 1639.
    >but they don't share our history,
  1640. 1640.
    >and so, don't share my doubts.
  1641. 1641.
    >Idea after unwanted, distracting, idea runs through my mind.
  1642. 1642.
    >Slowly, carefully I breathe in.
  1643. 1643.
    >I pause, focusing on the heartbeats of my sister and niece at my sides.
  1644. 1644.
    >Slowly, carefully, I let it go,
  1645. 1645.
    >and send my rampant thoughts with it.
  1646. 1646.
    >The mirror begins to glow;
  1647. 1647.
    >They are here, and I am ready.
  1648. 1648.
     
  1649. 1649.
     
  1650. 1650.
    Post 42
  1651. 1651.
     
  1652. 1652.
    >Side by Side, so close their flanks are touching,
  1653. 1653.
    >they step over the mirror's threshold.
  1654. 1654.
    >Sunset Shimmer, ice-blue eyes fixed intently on the floor, turns to me.
  1655. 1655.
    >She opens her mouth to speak, but only manages a soft gasp.
  1656. 1656.
    >Tears well in her gorgeous eyes, and she tries again,
  1657. 1657.
    >but no words come out.
  1658. 1658.
    >Trembling with effort she forces her face to meet mine,
  1659. 1659.
    >opens her mouth a third time,
  1660. 1660.
    >and breaks in to uncontrollable tears.
  1661. 1661.
    >Her legs give out beneath her and she sinks to the cold floor.
  1662. 1662.
    >Luna and Cadance are silent; undoubtably wanting me to take the lead.
  1663. 1663.
    >Twilight drops back as I step forward,
  1664. 1664.
    >one measured pace after another.
  1665. 1665.
    >I can't run, I can't speak; if I do, I'll lose control.
  1666. 1666.
    >She moans softly as my hoofsteps come to a halt.
  1667. 1667.
    >I stand over her, emotions churning wildly, my eyes never leaving this one little pony:
  1668. 1668.
    >the very center of my world.
  1669. 1669.
    >"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorryyyy"
  1670. 1670.
    >Her voice breaks as the last sound stretches out to a wail.
  1671. 1671.
    >Slowly, carefully, I lay down in front of her.
  1672. 1672.
    >Slowly, carefully, I wrap my wings around her.
  1673. 1673.
    >"I am too."
  1674. 1674.
    >And suddenly, we're crying together.
  1675. 1675.
    >She crawls closer and pushes my neck with her own.
  1676. 1676.
    >We nuzzle, and lean, and hold each other,
  1677. 1677.
    >sobbing away our pain, fears and regrets together.
  1678. 1678.
    >Our tears mingle hot and wet on the cold crystal floor,
  1679. 1679.
    >as our hearts finally begin to heal.
  1680. 1680.
    >At last, we are spent, and I look around to see my family smiling at us.
  1681. 1681.
    >My family.
  1682. 1682.
    >Cadance was right; they are my family.
  1683. 1683.
    >Luna, my sister;
  1684. 1684.
    >first to ascend, and show me my lonliness would not last forever.
  1685. 1685.
    >Cadance, my niece;
  1686. 1686.
    >whose unconditional love taught my heart to hope again.
  1687. 1687.
    >Twilight, also my niece, through marriage if nothing else;
  1688. 1688.
    >who returned my sister, and Sunset, and saved my ponies time and again.
  1689. 1689.
    >And Sunset...
  1690. 1690.
    >Poor orphaned Sunset.
  1691. 1691.
    >My adopted daughter,
  1692. 1692.
    >in whom I saw so much of myself I threw caution to the wind,
  1693. 1693.
    >and in so doing nearly doomed an entire world.
  1694. 1694.
    >Here we are, all together for the first time.
  1695. 1695.
     
  1696. 1696.
     
  1697. 1697.
    Post 43
  1698. 1698.
     
  1699. 1699.
    >A smile spreads across my face, waxing larger and brighter as my happiness grows.
  1700. 1700.
    >Luna is the first to speak:
  1701. 1701.
    >"Welcome home, Princess Sunset."
  1702. 1702.
    >She looks up at me, brow furrowed in confusion,
  1703. 1703.
    >before her gaze slides to my sister.
  1704. 1704.
    >"Thank you Princess Luna. Princess Twilight told my you'd come back."
  1705. 1705.
    >She looks back at me, then at Luna again.
  1706. 1706.
    >"If it's not too late, I'd like to say the same to you, Princess."
  1707. 1707.
    >"It is not, and we thank thee, as well..."
  1708. 1708.
    >A mischevous twinkle flashes in my sister's eye "...Princess."
  1709. 1709.
    >Sunset looks between us again.
  1710. 1710.
    >"Princess Luna why do you keep calling me that? I'm only a unicorn."
  1711. 1711.
    >Cadance lets out a little laugh.
  1712. 1712.
    >"I bet Twilight would have told you, but she didn't know either."
  1713. 1713.
    >She grins at Twilight, open-mouthed with disbelief.
  1714. 1714.
    >"Serves you right for taking off again before we could tell you anything!"
  1715. 1715.
    >Sunset's head swivels between my wings, looking at the four of us.
  1716. 1716.
    >"What do you mean, Princess Cadance? Twilight?"
  1717. 1717.
    >With a gentle nuzzle, I whisper "See for yourself" and let our hug go.
  1718. 1718.
    >"I have wings?" she gasps.
  1719. 1719.
    >Luna snorts facetiously
  1720. 1720.
    >"To think a pony could undergo apotheosis and not even know."
  1721. 1721.
    >"I have wings! When did...?"
  1722. 1722.
    >A look of shocked understanding shoots across her face.
  1723. 1723.
    >"The school? But how? You weren't even there!"
  1724. 1724.
    >"I've never really been as far away you think."
  1725. 1725.
     
  1726. 1726.
    >Time passes in its slow, inexorable way.
  1727. 1727.
    >There is laughter and tears.
  1728. 1728.
    >More of each are sure to come, but we're mending;
  1729. 1729.
    >at long last, I have my family, and they have me.
  1730. 1730.
    >We'll live each day and each night in love,
  1731. 1731.
    >for our ponies, and for each other.
  1732. 1732.
    >Forever.
  1733. 1733.
     
  1734. 1734.
    And that's more or less how it ends, dear reader.
  1735. 1735.
    I could keep picking at random ideas, but I've gotten out what I wanted to,
  1736. 1736.
    and think it's a fine place to bring it to a close.
  1737. 1737.
    I hope you enjoyed it.
  1738. 1738.
     
  1739. 1739.
     
  1740. 1740.
     
  1741. 1741.
    Note: This is the original draft of this story, but not the best one. Another version, expanded, and rewritten in prose can be found here:
  1742. 1742.
    https://www.deviantart.com/poisonhorsie/gallery/62495852/Students-of-Heaven
  1743. 1743.
    and here:
  1744. 1744.
    https://www.fimfiction.net/story/368234/students-of-heaven
  1745. 1745.
    I hope you'll check it out. It's much better than this one.

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