The last glow of an ancient star

by Mariacheat-Brony

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Alternate Universe, Sad, Other, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life
Length: 5072

Ponies wanted Celestia away, because in their minds, she wasn't able to protect them anymore. Now, many years later, a powerless Celestia returns to Canterlot. Why was she called? What do they need her for?

Ponies wanted Celestia away, because in their minds, she wasn't able to protect them anymore. They forced her to give up the Sun to the Unicorns, taking away most of her powers, and then they threw her out of Canterlot.

Now, a year later, they called her back to Canterlot. Why? What could they possibly want from her?

One shot AU in which the first two seasons happened, but without the presence of the Mane 6 (First attempt at real Pony Fic)...

Published 2013-10-26 18:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-26 18:40:02 UTC

Stop calling me Princess...

Canterlot. Capital of Equestria. The cultural center of the world. Cradle of Peace and Harmony for all the races on the planet. Siege of the most important assembly between the world’s nations. Home of the one who raised the Sun and the Moon, the almighty Alicorn Princess, Celestia.

Former home would be more accurate. A mare wearing a worn-out brown cloak with a hood that hid her coat and her mane to all the other passengers on the train, thought slowly as she read a book about the city she was about to stop in. I wonder when they’re going to update those history books…It has been a year after all.

The return of Nightmare Moon and the rampage it had provoked before Celestia managed to seal the wicked mare who wanted the Eternal Night in the frozen climate of the North, at the cost of many ponies of the Royal Guard was the first bump on millennial ruler’s reign.

Soon after, an old foe of the Sun Princess, Discord, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, awoke from his slumber and started to wreak havoc in various towns far from Canterlot. As Celestia marched with her little ponies against the Draconequus, he simply went into hiding, only to strike at random places every now and then.

Despite her efforts, it took the Princess two years before finally catching the mocking Lord of Chaos, and turning him back to a stone statue. The large quantity of magic needed for that spell nearly killed her, but she didn’t care in the end. Her little ponies were safe and that was all what mattered for her.

Though, the same couldn’t be said for the little ponies in question. Many critics started to rise against the Princess, judging her actions too slow to be effective, or claiming that she was getting too old, thus unfit to rule anymore. Tension seemed to die down a bit after the monarch dug in her personal finances to rebuild all the damages done by Discord. Little by little, the ponies of Equestria started to trust Celestia again.

Then the Changeling’s attack during herniece’s wedding happened, and that was the last straw that broke her ponies’ patience’s back. Not only the Princess had been totally surprised by the attack, but to make things better she had no part in the conflict’s resolution. If it hadn’t been for her niece and her groom, the captain of the Royal Guard, Canterlot would have been lost.

What followed didn’t consist of congratulations, cheers and wishes of happiness for the couple, but protestations and complains against the white Alicorn which only led to the demand that Celestia step down the throne of Equestria. In order to avoid a fight between the few ponies and members of Guard that remained at her side, and the anti-royalists, Celestia agreed to that demand.

“We’re arriving at Canterlot Station,” the controller spoke as he was trotting down the wagons to warn the passengers. “Canterlot Station, everypony!”

“Well, I guess I’ll finish this book later,” the cloaked mare whispered to herself before closing her book to put it in the saddle bag hidden beneath her brown cloak.

The cloaked mare trotted to the exit of her wagon, and waited patiently for the train to stop. Once the doors were open, she skipped out of the transport and headed straight out of the station, ignoring the curious glances cast in her direction. Canterlot wasn’t used to ponies hidden by a mantle so long that their hooves were completely out of sight as it dragged on the stone streets of the Capital.

Despite the attention, and the clear curiosity from the Canterlot Ponies directed at her, the mare continued her stride through the city. Her journey went without a single hitch. Nopony stood in her way, nopony talked to her… Well, except those foals who were playing with a ball near the marketplace.

The ball in question rolled in front of the mare before the foals, despite being a bit scared by the cloaked pony, asked if they could get the ball back. The mare smiled warmly at the closest foal, a young unicorn colt with a yellow coat, a bright red mane and a hoofball for Cutie Mark, before glancing at ball for a few seconds. It remained still during the whole time.

“Right!” the mare let out with a short chuckle while shaking her head softly.

She extended a snow white foreleg from beneath her mantle before kicking the ball in the air, making it soar through the air to the yellow colt who bumped his head against it, careful to not pierce it with his horn, to pass it to his friends.

“Thank you!” he called cheerfully before galloping after his friends.

“You’re welcome,” the mare replied softly, though the colt probably didn’t hear it.

Anyway, the mare went back to her stride, and in the following hour, she arrived in front of her destination: The Canterlot Castle. She stared at it for a short moment, as many memories made their way through her mind at the sight of the white spiral towers of the ancient building.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the leader of a patrol of Pegasi guards called when they took notice of the cloaked pony.

“Hmm?” the mare blinked as she was pulled out of her reverie. “Hello,” she said politely as the six Pegasi landed next to her.

“Can we help you, Miss?” the officer asked.

“Actually yes,” the mare nodded. “I’m expected inside the Castle for an audience with the Council of Harmony.”

All the guards cocked an eyebrow at the mare, not really convinced by her claim.

“The Council of Harmony?” the officer asked slowly.

“Yes,” the mare replied with a nod. “Could you take me there, please?”

The guards stared at the mare in silence, wondering if she was pulling their legs.

“Okaaaay,” the mare let out playfully. “You’re probably busy, so I’ll just help myself in,” she added before trotting past the squad of guards.

“Hey, wait up a minute!”

“Don’t worry, I think I remember how to get there!” she assured with a nod.

“Ok, that’s it!” a guard let out angrily before jumping in front of the mare, his wings flared open in defiance. “I don’t know what’s your deal, mare, but there’s no way that a beggar like you would be of attendance at the world’s most important assembly!”

“Never judge a book by its cover, young colt,” the mare retorted playfully, before brushing past him as if he hadn’t been there to stop her.

“Hey!” he called before him and his squadmates encircled the mare a few steps closer the Castle entrance. “Stop right there!”

“YOU, STOP RIGHT THERE!” another mare’s voice ordered angrily from the Castle Gates.

“Princess Cadenza!” the pegasi gulped before bowing at the sight of the pink Alicorn slowly making her way to them. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s something I should ask you!” Cadence snorted. “That’s no way to treat the Council’s guest!” the guards cowered in front of the Crystal Princess. “Now, get back to your patrol, and be certain that your captain shall be informed of your manners!”

“Right away, Highness!” the officer let out sheepishly before his squad took off.

“I’m so sorry for this!” Cadence claimed after doing a breathing exercise to calm down. “I should have…. Why are you laughing?” she asked the cloaked mare as she started to chuckle softly.

“I just remember the tiny, pink filly who played tea parties with me during the afternoons, and I have trouble believing that that filly became the regal, beautiful mare who’s standing right in front of me,” the mare explained softly, earning a smile and a blush from the princess.

“Let me take your belongings, Princess,” Cadence said softly as her horn started to shine in a cornflower blue hue.

“Stop calling me Princess, Cadence,” the mare replied slowly.

Her cloak and saddlebag were levitated off of her by the pink Alicorn’s magic, revealing a snow white coat earth pony mare with a greying pink mane tied in a loose bun. Her cerise eyes, despite being circled by wrinkles, still shone with a smart, youthful glint.

“You’ll always be my Princess.” Cadence lowered her head softly before inviting the white mare inside. “That is the proof.” she pointed a hoof at her interlocutor.

“And here I thought that my lack of horn and wings would be enough proof of the opposite,” the mare tilted her head in confusion, running a hoof on her hornless forehead before glancing at her wingless back.

“The mark doesn’t lie, Princess Celestia,” Cadence let out, nodding at the yellow and orange sun on the white mare’s flanks.

Celestia stared at her cutie mark for a brief moment. “Stop calling me that, Cadence.” she whispered before trotting after her niece.

~~~~~~~~

After having dropped her saddlebag and cloak in the room assigned for her, Celestia put on a formal dress before heading to the Council chamber, the largest room of the southern tower of the Castle. On her way there, she kept wondering why she had been summoned to the Council after said Council ordered her to step down from the throne many years ago.

They wanted her out of Equestria’s business, they even demanded of her to pass the control of the Sun and the Moon to an assembly of the most powerful Unicorns in the land, the Arcanium. When she did as demanded, her connection with the sun was broken, something that caused her to turn back into the earth pony mare she used to be eons ago.

“I heard that Sunset is leader of the Arcanium now…” Celestia whispered with a small proud smile. “I wonder if I’ll get a chance to congratulate her!”

While she kept wondering what some of her other students had become after she had to leave Canterlot, Celestia arrived in front of the large double doors of the Council Chamber, which were guarded by two Unicorns wearing dark blue armors. She asked if she could come in, and when the guards didn’t move a muscle, she interpreted it as a yes. Celestia slowly pushed the right door with her hoof.

The loud cacophony of voices she heard when the door parted from her other part died down when Celestia had fully opened it. All the Council members, who were sitting around a large, round, stone table, were staring straight in her direction in the loudest silence.

“Well, I didn’t think that the Almighty Celestia would really show up here,” the gryphon sitting at the table let out with a slightly mocking tone, earning a dark glare from Cadence and a blond, white Unicorn stallion sitting next to her.

“Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentle -Colts, -Bulls, -Zebra, -Elks, -Gryphons, -Camels,” Celestia called politely to the cosmopolitan assembly in the room, ignoring the dark brown gryphon’s comment. “You have summoned me, and here I am.”

“Please, Princess, have a seat,” the Zebrican Council member offered his seat politely.

“Except that she isn’t a princess anymore,” a large black pegasus with a blue mane reminded sternly. “Don’t forget that, Mbosco!”

“It’s no reason to be uncivilized, Storm!” Mbosco retorted with a dark glare.

“It’s okay, my dear Mbosco,” Celestia calmed the old zebra softly. “He’s right.” she admitted before walking to an empty spot between Cadence and the Elk representative, and sat on her haunches as no chair was available around the table.

“Highness,” the old elk called softly. “It’s embarrassing, at least take my seat,” he suggested.

“Stop calling me Highness, please,” Celestia replied softly. “So, what’s so urgent that you need to pull an old lady like myself out of her retirement?” the white former Alicorn asked the assembly.

“Well, we have received rather frightening information,” the earth Pony Councilor explained.

“The surveillance spells in Tartarus warned us that a crack appeared on Discord’s statue,” Cadence said uneasily.

“We have also noticed that Barrens are in plain uproar,” Thunderhoof, the massive Buffalo, added with his low, calm voice. “The Changelings are on a war hoofing!”

“The situation in the North is also worrying,” the elk let out softly. “Something’s awaking beyond the Crystal mountains. Something extremely powerful,” he added in a slightly panicked voice.

“Although, we’re not sure about that Northern situation,” Gaïus brushed off nonchalantly. “Probably some doe’s tale to scare the children. There’s nothing beyond the Crystal mountains!”

“Sure, and where did the Windigos come from?” the Saddle Arabian mare asked in a cold snort. “The warm desert land of Cameloo?”

“I’m actually surprised you heard of the Windigos.” the Crystal Pony ambassador stated with an indifferent tone.

“I beg you pardon?” the Saddle Arabian mare asked in confusion.

“Why are you surprised they know of them?” the Elk asked with a frown. “Cheik Aswan did use their coming as an opportunity to annexe the southern part of Equestria,” she reminded slowly.

The Saddle Arabian frowned at the reminder. “So did your forefather, Odin Hirvison, with the Northern Equestria!”

Soon after that remark, things got out of hoof quickly, everyone at the table came up with a reason to shout at someone else, and the cacophony Celestia heard before coming in was back at full blast. The former Alicorn lifted her right hoof to her forehead before rubbing her temple softly. Even after a year of absence, the meetings of the Council of Harmony didn’t change much.

“SIIIIILENCE!” Cadence shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice, causing everyone to cover their ears with a wince.

“Huh…. Why did I never think of that?” Celestia asked herself playfully while rubbing her right ear to get the buzzing away.

“We’re not here to fight amongst ourselves!” Cadence claimed loudly. “The purposes of this Council are Peace and Harmony for our people! I’m sick of hearing every single one of you bickering for past grudges when our future is far from secured!”

“Then what do you suggest, Princess Cadence?” Gaïus asked angrily.

“Focusing on what we know for certain!” Cadence said sternly. “Discord is waking up! Slowly, but surely!”

“Another of the Almighty’s fault that falls on us to resolve!” Storm snorted with disdain, his gaze fixed on Celestia. “Her oh so powerful spell that could imprison him forever lasted only a year. What an exploit!” he mocked loudly.

“How dare you?!” Mbosco yelled furiously. “If it weren’t for Celestia and her spell we wouldn’t even have had that year of peace!”

“At ease, Gentlecolts!” An Unicorn mage pulled her hood up, revealing a long, curly, red and yellow mane. “There’s an explanation for that!”

“Really?” Gaïus asked in disbelief. “Then explain it to us, Sunset Shimmer!”

“Surely!” Sunset replied as her horn lit up with a green aura.

A large book appeared in front of her in a green flash of light. Celestia’s former student leafed through it before she showed the content of the page with its magically created replica.

“The Elements of Harmony?” the elk read the green apparition out loud. “What are those?”

“Powerful artifacts from the past,” Sunset explained casually. “Six magic gemstones holding an outstanding power. The Princesses used them the first time Discord rampaged the land of Equestria, if the legends are correct.” she turned her head to her former mentor who shortly nodded. “That’s the reason his imprisonment lasted longer in the past.”

“What?!” Storm shouted angrily. “You mean that Celestia had means of defense in her possession from the very beginning, and she never used them?!”

“No!” Sunset glared sternly at the Pegasus for interrupting her. “The Elements disappeared after Nightmare Moon’s first Banishment.”

“What do you mean disappeared?” Gaïus asked with a cocked eyebrow. “They didn’t vanish into thin air!”

“Looks like they did,” Sunset replied casually.

“Why talk to us about it, then?” The Saddle Arabian Mare asked slowly.

“With the Elements of Harmony, we could reinforce Discord’s prison!” Sunset explained. “Maintaining him in stone for the rest of time! We could use that power against the Changelings, and that thing in the North, whatever that is! Making sure that our lands remain protected!”

“Assuming we find them of course!”

For the second time since the meeting’s start, Sunset glanced at her former master, who once again didn’t need her to voice her question for her to answer.

“No, I have no idea where to find them, sorry,” Celestia slowly said.

“What a shocker!” Gaïus snorted mockingly.

“Highness,” Sunset called Celestia softly. “I know you’ve been travelling around the land during the last year, surely you must have found a little something!”

“Nothing? Not even just a tiny lead?” the blond maned Unicorn, Blueblood, asked softly when Celestia shook her head in defeat.

“No... I’m sorry,” Celestia replied in a murmur.

“Well, that was useful to know!” Storm let out with sarcasm. “I wonder why I even bother to come to those meetings!”

“Watch it, Storm!” Blueblood called sternly. “There are things worth discussing here!”

“Maybe, but it’s not like we’ve ever done something else beside discussing them!” Storm retorted. “In the last twenty years, what did that Council accomplish of significative?” The entire assembly was silent. “That’s what I thought! No one sitting at that table ever did anything valuable for those so called Peace and Harmony!”

A deep, embarrassed silence filled the room after the black Pegasus spoke his opinion, everyone around the table looked down as they couldn’t really answer him. Anyone except Celestia who, after taking a short breath, looked up from the floor.

“Hum. Not to sound rude, but my sister and I kinda built a castle,” Celestia intervened slowly.

“Pardon?” The dark Pegasus asked in confusion.

“For those so called Peace and Harmony in Equestria,” Celestia explained. “We built a castle. Its name’s Canterlot by the way! Then, we went to find representatives from all over the land.” she glanced around the table. “In Unicornia, the Earth Republic, Pegasopolis, Cameloo, Zebrica, Saddle Arabia, the Elks’ Toundra, the Buffalos’ plains, the Gryphon Empire, the Crystal Empire,...”

The representatives around the tables, all shifted awkwardly on their seat when their nations, or cities of origin were quoted by Celestia.

“In the largest room of the Southern tower, I ordered the installation of an unbreakable, stone table,” Celestia continued, her hoof running on the surface of the table in question. “I wished for it to be round… So that no one would ever have to sit in a corner, or at the end of the table...”

Celestia took a short pause before taking the parol once again. Everyone listened to her in a religious silence.

“It wasn’t easy! We had to remind many times what the purpose of this assembly was,” she said with a sigh. “It was too complicated, so we tried to make everyone happy by doing things by ourselves….We’ve faced some of the world’s greatest threats : Discord, Sombra… Luna turning into Nightmare Moon,” she slightly choked as a single tear roll along her cheek. “I-I failed in the end….. But I do not want to hear someone saying that I never did anything!” she glared at every Council Members in the room. “Because it’s simply not true!” she added in a resolute, but trembling voice.

“Princess,” Blueblood called softly. “You mustn’t take what we say seriously… You know that we’re nothing but stupid brats compared to you, right?”

Celestia glanced at the blond Unicorn for a brief moment before giving a small shake of her head.

“Stop calling me Princess!” she implored in a whisper. “Please, just…st..Urgh!” She suddenly brought her hoof to her chest with a wince. NO! Not now!

“Are you ok?” Mbosco asked with worry.

Celestia grunted loudly before collapsing on the table.

“AUNT!” Cadence shouted in a panicked voice, while standing up from her chair.

“MASTER!” Sunset’s voice matched Cadence’s as she galloped to the former Alicorn’ sides.

Why now of all the moments? Celestia thought as her sight became blurry while she was looking at her former student and her niece. Damn it! She managed to think before everything became black.

~~~~~~~~

“Urggh…” Celestia groaned as she opened her eyes, seeing blurry shapes that filled the entire room. “Where…” she began as her vision started to focus.

“You’re in the Castle’s infirmary,” Cadence explained softly while trotting in front of Celestia’s bed. “You sure scared us all,” she added.

“Ungh, sorry.” Celestia tried to sit straight, but she felt something on her left foreleg. She glanced at her side, and saw the sleeping shape of Sunset Shimmer, her hooves holding Celestia’s firmly.

“She hasn’t left your side,” Cadence explained with a smile.

“She’s a good filly,” Celestia commented with a warm smile, delicately patting her student’s mane with her free hoof. “A bit on the wild side, but a good filly never the less,” she quietly chuckled when Sunset whispered in her sleep: “not a filly!”

“Celestia,” Cadence shuffled uneasily. “The doctors examined you and…”

“I don’t have much time left, I know,” Celestia replied, not interrupting her patting on Sunset’s mane.

“You knew?” Cadence asked, shocked by that revelation. “How?”

“I’ve seen many things during my life, Cadence,” Celestia explained. “I can see when a body’s failing its owner, even more so when it’s mine that’s concerned.”

“But, why did it happen?” Cadence asked. “When you became an earth Pony, you had the body of a twenty year old mare, and now, they say that it’s as sick as a ninety years old one!”

“Well, I’m more than a thousand years old, Cadence,” Celestia chuckled. “It was about time for “Time” to catch up with me, don’t you think?”

“But…”

“Cadence, I’m fine!” Celestia stated firmly. “I’m prepared for this!”

“Prepared for what?” Sunset asked in confusion while rubbing her eyes awake. She blinked before she realized who, and what they were speaking about. “You can’t be serious!” she shouted.

“Sunset, please,” Celestia said softly. “We’re in an infirmary!”

“You can’t be…” Sunset stammered with tears filling her light green eyes. “You can’t be dying, Princess!”

“Sunset, I told you already.” Celestia sighed. “Stop calling me Princess. It’s not what I am anymore!”

“NO!” Sunset shook her head. “You are Princess Celestia! The one that carries the Sun and the Moon! Equestria’s Morning Star…”

Celestia interrupted her by planting her forehoof on her student's lips.

“That was before, Sunset,” Celestia whispered before giving her student an affectionate nuzzle. “Now, it’s time for me, and nothing can change it!” she stated gently.

“But…”

“Sunset, I know it may look like a big deal, but to me, it’s like falling asleep at the end of a very, very long day,” Celestia explained. “Do you understand?”

Sunset sniffed loudly. “Y-yes,” she whispered with a nod before Celestia pulled her into a strong hug.

The yellow Unicorn instantly returned the hug with strength, quietly sobbing in her master’s chest while Celestia soothingly rubbed her student’s back.

“Now, I kinda missed a lot during my absence,” Celestia said to her student after she had pulled herself away from the hug, small tears running down her cheeks. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Sunset sniffed again. “Su-sure! What do you want to know?”

“Everything!” Celestia smiled softly.

“That should take some time,” Sunset wiped her tears away. “But I think I can arrange my schedule!” she added with a sheepish chuckle.

“I think I’m going to leave you two alone,” Cadence said softly before stepping out of the room.

Sunset and Celestia spent the rest of the afternoon together. The former Princess listening to whole what happened to her old student during her absence. As they spoke, Celestia remembered all the moments she had a spent with a much younger Sunset Shimmer. For example, how the tiny, yellow Unicorn had galloped through her office during her first visit, asking with huge, curious eyes about nearly everything they stopped on. Celestia couldn’t prevent the small tears from appearing in her eyes at the memories of one of her best students.

“Sunset Shimmer?” an Unicorn paige called from the infirmary door. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but they need you to lower the sun,”

“Can’t they take somepony from the back ups today?” Sunset asked sourly.

“Huh, I’ll see if that can be arranged on such short notice,” the paige replied uneasily.

“Actually, I was feeling like watching you lower the sun,” Celestia intervened.

“Would it be ok for you to leave the infirmary?” Sunset asked with worry.

“I’m not without resources yet, my dear student,” Celestia assured with a smirk, the same playful smirk that had always brought confidence to Sunset. “Though, it would be best for me to take it slowly to the balcony,” she added before shooing Sunset away. “Go prepare yourself, I’ll be there to watch!”

“A-All right!” Sunset nodded before trotting to the infirmary’s exit. “We won’t start without you!” she added before going out of sight with the younger Unicorn.

“I can’t wait!” Celestia assured.

~~~~~~~~

She has really grown so much…. Celestia thought with pride as she watched the fifty Unicorns of the Arcanium, lead by Sunset Shimmer, combining their magic to lower the sun.

The fifty-one horns shone in the same golden aura that Celestia had seen many times around her own horn, when she had one of course. As one sole entity, the Arcanium members lowered their heads in perfect synchronisation, making the fiery star in the sky slowly go down.

As the sky slowly painted itself in many shades of orange, Celestia glanced at her former student. Despite having turned into an earth Pony a year ago, she had kept some abilities in relation with Unicorn Magic, one of which was being able to see it. Whenever an Unicorn cast a spell in her sight, Celestia could see him or her shine like a bright star in the night, and now, Sunset Shimmer was ten times brighter than any other spell caster in the court in front of her.

I knew she would make it far… Celestia smiled as she returned her attention to the setting sun at the horizon. That sunset is beautiful… It practically shimmers before me… Urgh, what a bad pun! Hehehe! Celestia giggled before feeling her eyelids becoming heavy.

It's… really beautiful. she thought sleepily with a yawn as the sun was nearly gone beyond the horizon.

The last ray of the sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon at the exact same moment Celestia closed her eyes. Like she had said to her student earlier, it had been just like falling asleep at the end of a very, very long day.

~~~~~~~~

Sunset Shimmer, my most talented student,

I wished we could have talked much more in the infirmary
so I could have told you personally how proud I am of you!

I just have one request for you, consider it my final assignment for you:
Help Cadence to the best of your abilities, she’ll need your support more than she thinks…

Also, do not mourn me! You called me Equestria’s morning star, so I’d like you to remember what I taught you about when an ancient star has her final glow…

Goodbye,

With the utmost affection,

Celestia of Equestria

Sunset Shimmer was locked in her room, rivers of tears flowing out of her eyes, holding the final letter of her mentor close to her heart while Cadence was holding her tightly in a wing-hug, tears also rolling along her cheeks.

Ever since they had found the body of the former goddess sitting on her haunches on the Castle’s balcony, her head resting on her right shoulder, a small, peaceful smile on her snout last night, the Unicorn and the Alicorn couldn’t stop their tears.

Celestia had been more than just a princess for the two of them. When Cadence became an Alicorn, it was the Sun Princess that adopted her as her niece to help her controlling her new powers, and help her growing up into the mare she was today. It was also the Sun Princess that offered the young, Unicorn orphan a chance to prove her abilities in the entrance exams of her school for the gifted Unicorns. She had watched them grow, been there to pull them up whenever they fell… Celestia had just been there for them when it was needed.

It wasn’t the loss of their former monarch the pair was crying, it was the loss of the pony who had been like a mother to them.

Though, their mourning was interrupted by a loud bang that shook the entire castle. The Alicorn and the Unicorn, startled by the loud explosion, glanced outside before gasping in shock at what was happening outside: A gigantic circle of rainbow fire soared across the sky. When she saw, something clicked in Sunset Shimmer’s mind.

“After the last glow of an ancient star… an explosion of colors illuminates the sky,” Sunset whispered her thoughts out loud.

“What?” Cadence asked in confusion, wiping her tears away.

“... and from that explosion, new stars appear… stars that will shine even brighter than the ancient one,” Sunset let out before using her magic to grab a book from her library.

She flipped through the pages of her book before stopping on a lithograph showing a white Alicorn, with six gemstones floating around her, casting a beam made of the colors of a rainbow against a dark blue Alicorn. She went to the following page to see another one, showing the white Alicorn glancing at the sky with the six gems, now with their outlines less defined as if they were fading out of scene, lying on the ground around her.

“I-I understand, Celestia!” Sunset stammered as a small smile made its way on her snout. “Thank you, for saving us,” she added in a murmur. “Like you always did…”

“Sunset, what are you talking about?”

“The Elements of Harmony… have been set free!” Sunset replied softly.

Author's Note

Here's a little one-shot on another version of Equestria if The Rainboom didn't happen and if Shimmer hadn't gone to Equestria Girls world.

Thanks to Psp7master for pre-reading and his advice.

And, thanks to G3k0771 and GWG for their joined efforts for editing the whole thing.

Hoping you liked it

PS: I edited the format at the end

Mariacheat-Brony