“You’re a princess now, Twilight. Embrace it!”
“You are not getting this crown!”
“That crown really does suit you, Princess Twilight.”
“I am starting to feel a little more comfortable wearing it.”
“My crown. My crown…”
“Twilight? Hellooo? Twilight!”
Princess Twilight Sparkle jumped, startled out of her daze by a finger prodding her face. “What, Pinkie?” she snapped.
Pinkie Pie didn’t seem bothered by her friend’s harsh reaction. “Oh, good. You’ve been staring out the window for so long that I thought you had turned into a statue.” With her curiosity satisfied, Pinkie resumed her skipping around their car on the train.
Applejack, who was sitting across from Twilight, seemed more concerned than Pinkie was. “You alright, sugarcube?”
Twilight brushed her bangs away from her face. “I’m fine, AJ. I was just thinking.”
Rarity stretched out on the seat she had claimed for herself with a blissful sigh. “Stop thinking and start relaxing, darling. We’re in a private car on a luxury train, about to spend three wonderful days in Canterlot, all because Princess Celestia wants to go over your royal duties.” Rarity paused, then added “Have I mentioned how wonderful it is that you’re a princess?”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “Just once or twice.”
“And not only that, but I managed to get an audience with Curl de Prance. Curl de Prance!” Rarity squealed. “If she approves of my Summer Splash collection, then I could be a star!”
Twilight stifled a giggle. “I’m sure everything will go perfectly.”
“Oh, I know it will. I’m not worried at all,” Rarity said airily. “Except… what if she doesn’t like my designs? What if she thinks they’re amateurish? Oh no!” Rarity cried, all previous calmness gone as she sat up in horror. “If this goes wrong, she could set my career back to the Stone Age! I’ll be ruined!”
Twilight bit her lip to keep from laughing as Applejack rolled her eyes at Rarity. “Calm down, Rarity. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
“Oh, but it is!” Rarity wailed dramatically. “My life is over! Fluttershy!” she suddenly shrieked. “Get your animals away from my ensemble!” Rarity chased a small white rabbit away from a rack of garment bags. “Why did you even bring them with you in the first place?”
The rabbit Rarity had startled leapt into Fluttershy’s lap, and she immediately drew it closer to her. “I’m sorry, Rarity,” she said timidly. “It’s just that Angel gets upset when I leave him alone for too long.”
Applejack frowned at Angel, who was making faces at Rarity from under Fluttershy’s arm. “Everything makes that critter of yours upset. Ah’ve seen ragin’ bulls with better attitudes.”
Fluttershy sniffed, not noticing that Angel was now throwing rude paw gestures in Applejack’s direction. “You just don’t know him the way I do.”
“Excuse me, but could we forget about Fluttershy’s bad-tempered bunny and focus on something just a bit more important? My career as a fashion designer is practically over!” Rarity cried.
“Will you all shut up?!” Everyone jumped at Rainbow Dash’s angry outburst. Rainbow glared at her friends from over the back of her seat, her multi-colored hair in disarray. “I have been trying to sleep for the past hour, but between Pinkie’s random singing and Rarity’s meltdown, I haven’t slept a wink!”
“Where is Pinkie?” Twilight wondered. Everyone glanced around the car, but their curly haired friend was nowhere in sight.
“She’s probably off terrorizing the townspeople,” Rainbow snapped. “Now, if you don’t mind, goodnight!” She yanked a pillow over her head and laid back down with an angry huff.
Rarity glanced between Rainbow’s inert form and Rarity’s twitching face and quickly got up. “I’ll go look for Pinkie,” she said. “Come on, Angel.”
“Check the food car first,” Applejack called out to Fluttershy’s retreating back, ignoring the raspberry Angel gave her.
Rarity threw her hands up in the air with a dramatic sigh and turned back to her garment bags, muttering under her breath.
Twilight went back to gazing out the window, not noticing that Applejack was still watching her. “Are ya sure you’re okay, Twilight?”
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just,” Applejack hesitated. “You’ve been actin’ different ever since ya came back from that adventure with the mirror.”
“Oh.”
“What happened to ya over there?”
“It’s… hard to explain.” Twilight had never been able to fully describe to her friends her experience in the alternate universe. It wasn’t that she thought they wouldn’t be able to understand the differences between the two worlds; she didn’t think they would understand how different she was after visiting there. Before Sunset Shimmer stole her crown, Twilight had no desire to be a princess, but since that while incident, she realized that her view on being royalty had changed. Every time she closed her eyes she could picture all those faces gazing up at her in adoration, and it filled her with a joy she couldn’t describe. Twilight wanted people to love her so much that it hurt, and she knew that her crown was a key part in obtaining that love. She had within her the potential to be an even greater princess than Celestia, and she determined to be just that: the greatest princess in all of Equestria.
But one look at Applejack’s freckled face and Twilight knew that she could never admit her secret ambitions to her friends. They just wouldn’t understand. Instead she said “Going through that mirror just helped me realize my true potential.”
Applejack wrinkled her brow. “What’d ya mean?”
“This.” Twilight gestured at the countryside speeding past their window. “I look out there and I can see every problem in Equestria, and it’s up to me to solve them.”
“Hon,” Applejack said gently. “Ya don’t have t’carry the entire kingdom on your shoulders. You’re just startin’ out; let Princess Celestia an’ Princess Luna handle all the big stuff ‘til you’re ready.”
“But I am ready!” Twilight protested. “I want to make Equestria better and I know I can do it!”
“Why is so important to ya all of a sudden?”
“I guess it always was; it just took a crazy, jealous, ex-student of Princess Celestia’s stealing my crown to make me realize it.” Both Applejack and Twilight laughed at that. “I just want people to appreciate me.”
“People do appreciate ya, hon. You’re lookin’ at one of ‘em.” Applejack reached over and squeezed Twilight’s hand. “No matter what happens, your friends will always think the best of ya.”
Twilight smiled back. “Thanks, AJ. That really means a lot.” If only it was enough.
“Welcome to Canterlot, girls!” Princess Celestia said warmly. Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash immediately knelt before the princess of the sun, and Twilight, after realizing that her friends were no longer standing, started to kneel as well. “There’s no need for that, Princess Twilight,” Celestia said with a benign smile. “The rest of you, please, rise.”
Celestia led the group of friends down the bright halls of her palace. Twilight sped up so she could walk beside her. “Princess, I’d like to discuss the-“
Celestia held up a hand to silence her. “There will plenty of time for such matters later. I notice that Spike isn’t with you. Is he alright?”
Twilight bit her lip to hide her irritation at being brushed off. “He’s fine. He offered to stay behind and manage my affairs in Ponyville while I’m away. Now, I’d really like to talk about-“
“Forgive me, Princess,” Rarity interrupted. “But have you heard anything from Curl de Prance?”
Celestia gave an airy laugh. “Yes, my dear. You’re free to use the ballroom for your showcase tomorrow.”
Rarity beamed. “Oh, thank you, your majesty!”
“Princess Celestia-“
“Twilight, I promise we will talk tomorrow, so please, take the rest of the day to relax and enjoy yourself. You may not have such an opportunity again.” With a smile and a nod to the group of friends, Celestia glided down a side corridor and disappeared.
Twilight stood frozen in disbelief. Did Celestia just tell her to go relax while Equestria’s future was at risk?
At least her friends didn’t seem worried. Pinkie grabbed Twilight and Applejack and pulled them in for a hug, banging their heads together in the process. “This is gonna be great! What should we do first? Oh, I know! We should take a carriage tour around the city. Or should we go swimming in the pool on the roof? I got it! We should-“
Twilight twisted her way free of Pinkie’s grip. “You guys have fun. I’m going to take a walk.” She headed toward the gardens, ignoring the looks of confusion and concern her friends gave each other.
The private gardens of Celestia’s castle lived up to their reputation as a site of peace and tranquility, but it wasn’t doing to ease Twilight’s frustration. She came to Canterlot so she could work with Princess Celestia to make Equestria better, but she was being pushed aside like her ideas didn’t matter, like she wasn’t important. It was so frustrating!
Twilight nearly leapt a foot in the air when a voice suddenly said “Something troubling you, Princess Twilight?”
Princess Luna had been seated on a stone bench when Twilight stormed past her, hidden by the shadows of the surrounding trees. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Princess Luna. I didn’t see you.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “I am the princess of the night: I’m quite skilled when it comes to disappearing. Now, is something wrong?”
“It’s not important.”
“Clearly it’s important enough for you to go raging through the gardens.” Luna closed the book she was reading. “Care to share?”
“Thanks, but it’s a little complicated.”
“Really? Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing that you’re irritated that my sister isn’t giving you enough responsibility.” Luna smirked at Twilight’s stunned expression. “I felt the same way when I returned from being Nightmare Moon.”
Luna stood up and walked over to Twilight. “Everything my sister does is for a reason. She didn’t give my all of my former duties right away because she wanted to give me time to adjust. You may think that she doesn’t respect you, but she has your best interests at heart. After all, you only became a princess a month ago.”
“I don’t need time to adjust,” Twilight argued. “I’m ready to be a princess of Equestria.”
Luna stared at Twilight with her unfathomable blue eyes. “Then it’s up to you to prove it.”
That evening, after Celestia had lowered the sun and Luna had risen the moon, Twilight stood before the ornate doors of Princess Celestia’s private quarters. Her conversation with Luna had given her the motivation she needed; Twilight wasn’t going to let Celestia ignore her anymore. Luna may have been content to let Celestia handle all the royal duties, but that wasn’t who Twilight was. She was ready to be a princess, and she was going to make Celestia realize it. Taking a deep breath, Twilight knocked.
“Come in,” a musical voice called out, and Twilight entered the room. Celestia was lounging in an armchair, her multicolored hair shimmering in the light of the fireplace. “Oh, good evening, Twilight.”
Twilight’s confidence faltered when she noticed that Celestia was only wearing a nightgown and a silken bathrobe. “Oh. I’m sorry, I can just…”
“It’s alright,” Celestia assured her. “My door is always open to you. How can I help you?”
“Actually, I’m the one who wants to help you.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Really? Please explain.”
Twilight took a deep breath. “I know that you’re taking things easy on me since I just became a princess, but you don’t have to do that. I am ready for all the responsibilities that comes with being a princess. I have ideas; brilliant ones that can make Equestria a better place! So please, give me all the responsibilities you can think of! I want them, I’m ready for them!”
Celestia listened patiently as Twilight was talking. When she was finished, she said in a very gentle voice “Twilight, you will always have my complete confidence, and I believe that you will be a wonderful princess one day, but that day is not here yet. Being a princess can be a burden at times, and I don’t want to force that on you until I have to. You need time and training before you can take on all the duties of a princess, and you will be all the better for it.”
“But… but that’s not fair!” Twilight protested.
Celestia walked over to Twilight and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I understand that you’re frustrated, but trust me-“
“Trust you?” Twilight knocked Celestia’s hand off her shoulder. “You’re treating me like a child! I’m the one who completed Stars Swirl the Bearded’s spell; I clearly know more about magic than you ever will!”
The look on Celestia’s face made it clear that Twilight had crossed a line. When she finally spoke, her voice was full of a cold, deadly calm. “You are upset, and not thinking clearly. We will talk once you have calmed down and realized how childish you are acting.” She turned and walked away.
There was a sudden, blinding flash of green light. When Twilight’s vision returned, she was lying on the floor and Celestia’s broken furniture was strewn all over the room.
Twilight stared at her hands, which were glowing a faint green. Surely that hadn’t been her magic that caused the furniture to break? Her magic was pink, not green. Then Twilight remembered King Sombra’s castle; she had used dark magic in order to reveal the entrance so she could find the Crystal Heart. When Twilight performed dark magic, it was green. Twilight was amazed. Before, performing dark magic had been extremely difficult and taxing, but she had just done it without even realizing it. Maybe her magic was growing. Maybe she was getting even more powerful! Twilight was so excited that she actually giggled.
Then she saw Celestia.
The princess was lying flat on her back, her limbs splayed out. Twilight crawled over to her. “Princess? Are you okay?”
Celestia didn’t answer. Twilight noticed with a numbing jolt to her gut that she wasn’t even breathing.
No, thought a terrified Twilight. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident! Twilight took Celestia’s hand, and was surprised that her skin was already cold.
There was a sound behind her, and Twilight spun around. Standing in the open doorway were her friends, and judging by the horrified looks on their faces, they had seen the entire thing. For a few moments, they just stared silently at each other. Then Rarity said “Is… is she..?”
“She’s dead.” Twilight was surprised by the flatness of her voice. “I killed Princess Celestia.”
Author's Note
So this story is a little different from my usual work, mainly because it's a collaborative effort. One of my friends from college came up with the idea and draws art for it while I write it. I also don't usually kill off characters from beloved "children's" shows, but whatevs.
If you want to see character art as well as behind the scene action, go check out our tumblr at thedarknessofpower
If there was one thing that the Elements of Harmony had learned over the years, it was to never doubt the Pinkie Sense. It was never wrong and had gotten them out of plenty of jams. Sure, it was a little weird, but that was just Pinkie Pie in general.
Tonight, however, was worse than usual. “How long has she been like this?” Rainbow Dash asked, barely avoiding Pinkie as she spun past her.
Applejack caught Pinkie before she could crash into the dresser. “Since sunset, an’ it’s gettin’ worse!” Applejack tried to settle Pinkie down in a chair, but her violent shaking made sitting impossible. “Sugarcube, ya gotta calm down an’ tell us what’s wrong!”
“I’m t-t-trying!” Pinkie chattered. “B-b-but it’s a r-r-real d-d-doozy!”
Rarity and Fluttershy burst into the suite they were sharing during their stay at the castle. “Did ya find Twilight?” Applejack asked.
Rarity shook her head. “I’m afraid not, darling. We looked everywhere; the throne room, the gardens, even the library. She’s nowhere to be found.”
“Twilight’s not in the library?” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Maybe that’s the doozy.”
Fluttershy gave Pinkie a worried look. “We have to tell someone.”
“Like who?” Applejack demanded.
“I don’t know. Maybe Princess Celestia?”
“We can’t bother the princess with Pinkie’s silliness,” Rarity scoffed. Just then, Pinkie let out a yelp and starting vibrating harder. “On the other hand, it wouldn’t hurt to let her know what was going on.”
The guest suite wasn’t very far from Celestia’s quarters, and as they neared them, they noticed that the door was slightly ajar. “Maybe she’s not there,” Fluttershy suggested.
Applejack could faintly hear voices coming through the door. “Nah, she’s in there alright. Is… is that Twilight?”
The friends crept closer. By the time they reached Celestia’s room, Pinkie was shaking so hard that her entire body was a blur. Whatever the doozy was, it was very close.
They were close enough to hear what Twilight was saying. “You’re treating me like a child! I’m the one who completed Star Swirl the Bearded’s spell; I clearly know more about magic than you ever will!”
“What has gotten into Twilight?” Applejack whispered, sharing shocked look with the rest of her friends.
Any further speculation was halted by the sound of Celestia’s angry voice. “You are upset, and not thinking clearly. We will talk once you have calmed down and realized how childish you are acting.”
The five friends peeked around the door to see what was happening. Celestia had turned her back on Twilight, who was shaking with anger. Her clenched fists started to glow with magic, but it was green instead of her usual pink. There was a blinding flash of green light, and they were blasted away from the door.
The first thing they noticed once their vision had returned was the Pinkie was no longer shaking. In fact, she looked perfectly normal. The group scrambled to get to the door in order to see what happened, and much to their horror, they saw that Celestia was lying motionless on the floor. Twilight was kneeling over her, but the sun princess was still.
Fluttershy gasped, and Twilight spun around, her eyes widening as she saw her friends staring at her. Rarity was the only one to voice what they were all thinking. “Is… is she…?”
“She’s dead,” Twilight said flatly. “I killed Princess Celestia.”
Fluttershy let out a small shriek of horror. “We have to get help!”
“No!” Twilight pulled her friends inside and slammed the door behind them. “You can’t tell anyone about this!”
“But, Twilight-“ Pinkie protested.
“Look, this was an accident. I lost control of my magic and…” Twilight’s violet eyes filled with tears. “You know I would never intentionally hurt Princess Celestia, much less kill her!”
“We know,” Applejack tried to reassure her. “An’ if ya just explained what happened-“
“They won’t understand!” Twilight wailed, clutching her hair. “All that’ll matter is that I killed Equestria’s leader! I’ll be banished, imprisoned, or even executed!” Twilight gazed at the faces of her friends. “And I’ll never see you guys again. Please, please, you can’t tell anyone that I’m responsible for Celestia’s death. Please!”
“Of course we won’t, darling,” Rarity said almost immediately, giving Twilight a comforting hug. We know that you would never do something like this on purpose, and that you’ll do whatever you can to make amends.”
“I will,” Twilight said tearfully.
“I won’t tell either,” Rainbow Dash promised, Fluttershy nodding beside her.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie Pie chimed in.
Everyone looked at Applejack, who was staring uncomfortably at the floor. “Ah still think ya should tell the truth, but if we never saw ya again…” Applejack took a deep breath. “Ah’ll keep your secret.”
“Oh, AJ!” Twilight freed herself from Rarity and flung her arms around Applejack. “Thank you! Thank you, all of you. I couldn’t bear it if you hated me for what I did.”
“Um, what should we do about…?” Rainbow jerked her head in the direction of Celestia body, unable to bring herself to look at it.
Twilight bit her lip. “They’ll find her in the morning when she doesn’t raise the sun. You should stay in your room until then. I don’t want you to get any more involved in this than you already are.”
The friends filed silently out the door, Twilight being the last to leave. Before she did, Twilight gave the still form of her former mentor one final glance. Then she shut the door.
Several hours later, as Twilight lay on her bed while she stared blankly at the ceiling, there was a heavy pounding on her door. “Princess Twilight! You must wake and come with me immediately!”
Twilight knew exactly why they were there. She climbed slowly out of bed. Her actions over the next few days had to make it clear to all of Equestria that she had nothing to do with Celestia’s death. Still, it was going to be difficult to feign shock and grief when she felt completely empty inside.
Twilight pulled on a robe and opened the door, peeking out at the anxious guard who was waiting for her. “What is it? Has something happened?”
“I… you best come with me, your highness.”
The pair raced down the hallway, but the guard didn’t speak to Twilight until they reached Celestia’s quarters. “When Princess Celestia did not raise the sun this morning, I sent some of my men to investigate, and…” his strong voice shook as he opened the door. Twilight entered and saw that the palace doctor was kneeling over Celestia’s body. “She is dead, Princess.”
Twilight closed her eyes and pressed a hand against the doorframe as if she was bracing herself. “Does Princess Luna know?”
“No, your highness. Princess Luna prefers to take walks before the dawn. She has yet to return.”
“Go find her. Now.” The guard rushed off and Twilight slowly approached Celestia and the doctor. “How did this happen?”
Doctor Golden Heart adjusted his spectacles with a sigh. “Such a tragedy, Princess Twilight. From what I’ve been able to determine, it was dark magic that killed Princess Celestia.” Twilight did her best to look shocked as Golden Heart continued. “Since Princess Celestia is… was the only one person I knew of who could produce dark magic, I can only assume that her death was a result of an experiment she was performing that went wrong.”
There was a horrified scream behind them. Twilight and Golden Heart turned to see Princess Luna standing in the doorway. She pushed her escort aside and raced to her sister’s side, falling to her knees beside her. “What happened? Will she be all right?”
Twilight and Golden Heart shared a look. “I’m so sorry, Princess Luna,” Golden Heart said gently. “But she’s gone.”
Luna let out a heartbroken wail and fell upon Celestia’s body, her shoulders shaking with uncontrolled sobs. As she watched Luna grieve for her sister, Twilight felt a small twinge of guilt for the first time since Celestia’s death. She knew that there was nothing that she could do to change what had happened, so she tried to repress her feeling of remorse, but seeing Luna made her realize the enormity of what she had done. Not only had she killed Equestria’s most beloved leader, but she also robbed Luna of her sister, the one person she loved more than anything. For a moment, Twilight was tempted to tell the truth.
Instead, she put an arm around Luna. “Oh, Luna, I’m so sorry.”
Luna looked up, her face streaked with tears. “I should have been here with her,” she sobbed.
“There was nothing you could’ve done,” Golden Heart assured her. “There will be time for you to remember your sister properly, but you must remain strong. You are now the sole ruler of Equestria; the people will be looking to you for strength and courage in these difficult times.”
Luna dried her face. “You’re right, Doctor. I will go tell them now, but first I must raise the sun.”
“I’ll do that,” Twilight offered. “Golden Heart is right; the people need you.” As Luna left, Twilight couldn’t help thinking I just wish they needed me, too.
The following day, people from all over Equestria came to Canterlot to attend Princess Celestia’s funeral; her death had an impact on everyone. Even royalty from distant kingdoms traveled to pay their respects to their beloved princess.
The moment Princess Cadence saw Twilight, she gave her an enormous hug. “Oh, Twilight, I am so sorry.” She released Twilight, her eyes red from crying. “How are you holding up?”
Twilight gave her a weak smile. “I’m doing okay.”
“You sure about that?” Shining Armor came up from behind Cadence and put an arm around his little sister. “You look terrible.”
“I’ll be okay, Shining Armor. I’m honestly more worried about Princess Luna than anything else.”
“Oh, of course, the poor thing. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s going through. We should go see her,” Cadence said to Shining Armor.
“You’re right.” Shining Armor gave Twilight a worried look, not entirely convinced of her wellbeing. “If there’s anything you need-“
“I know,” Twilight said. She watched as her brother and his wife left to see Luna.
Once they were out of out of earshot, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Lying to Cadence and Shining Armor was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Not only did she hate lying to them, but they also knew her better than anyone. If she was going to be caught, it would be by those two. Still, Twilight knew that she must keep pretending that nothing was wrong. With Celestia gone, Equestria would need her more than ever. She had to keep up the act; it was all for the greater good.
A few hours later, Twilight stood on the balcony of Canterlot Castle alongside Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor. Below them masses of grieving people were gathered around Celestia’s golden coffin. Luna stepped forward, took a deep breath, and began to speak.
“Thousands of years ago, before Equestria was even founded, all my sister and I had were each other. Celestia cared for me, taught me everything that I know, and never asked for anything in return. Equestria made a wise decision when they chose her to be their leader; she was intelligent, kind, and never met a person that she didn’t like. When she asked me to rule beside her was the proudest moment of my life.
“But I grew jealous of Celestia, jealous of all the love and attention she received, and I plotted to usurp her. Even though my sister loved me, she always put her people first, and she had no choice but to banish me to the moon. For years I resented her for it, but I know now that she did it for the good of Equestria, and that she missed me every day that I was gone. Celestia gave me a second chance when no one else would; she believed in the best of every person.
“Equestria would not be what it is today without Princess Celestia. She defended it against the most fearsome of enemies, and she loved and respected each and every one of her citizens. No one can ever replace her, and I will miss her dearly.” Luna closed her eyes as her hands started to glow with magic. The blue light snaked its way down towards Celestia’s coffin, enveloping it with its glow. People gasped as the coffin disappeared in a burst of light that shot up towards the sky. Even in the bright light of day, everyone could see what Luna’s magic had done; it had created a cluster of stars in Celestia’s image. “Farewell, my beloved sister. Rest forever in the stars.”
After the funeral, Princess Luna asked Shining Armor to meet her in her quarters. “What can I do for you, Princess?”
Luna stared out the window at her sister’s likeness, which still shone brightly in the sky. “Will you and Princess Cadence be returning to the Crystal Empire soon?”
“We plan to leave this evening, but we can stay longer if you want us to.”
“No, I want the two of you back in the Crystal Empire as soon as possible. We need to show Equestria that their leadership remains strong. I will be asking Twilight to be staying here in Canterlot with me to help run things. However, when you do return, there is something very important I want you to do for me.”
“What is it?”
Luna turned to face Shining Armor, her blue eyes cold. “I want you to find out who killed my sister.” Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed as Luna continued. “Celestia would never had be so careless as to be killed in some experiment. Someone else was responsible; I want them found and I want them punished. Can I trust you to do this?”
Shining Armor saluted. “Of course you can, Princess.”
“Good,” Luna said, turning back to the window. “Have a safe trip home.”
Shining Armor left the princess of the night alone with her thoughts and found Cadence and Twilight waiting for him outside. “What did Luna want?” Cadence asked, concerned.
Shining Armor ignored her question, his gaze going straight to one of the guards that had accompanied him and Cadence from the Crystal Armor. “Flash Sentry, I want you to choose five of your best men. You will remain here in Canterlot to protect my sister.”
As Flash Sentry rushed off, Twilight glared at her brother. “What do you think you’re doing? I don’t need protecting.”
Shining Armor stared intently at his sister. “I don’t want whoever killed Princess Celestia to come after you.”
“What are you talking about?” Cadence demanded.
Twilight’s eyes went wide. “B-but Doctor Golden Heart said-“
“Do either of you really believe Celestia’s death was an accident?” Twilight swallowed hard as Shining Armor continued. “Princess Luna has tasked me with finding the one responsible, but I don’t want anything to happen to you before I do. Please, Twilight, do this for me.”
Cadence backed her husband up. “We just want you to be safe.”
Twilight sighed, but nodded. “Thank you.” Shining Armor gave her a hug. “We need to leave soon, but write to us if there’s anything you need.”
“Okay,” Twilight murmured into her brother’s chest.
Cadence gave Twilight a hug as well. “Be careful, Twilight, and look after Princess Luna. She’ll need you now more than ever.”
Twilight watched her brother and sister-in-law walk away while she tried to calm her frantically beating heart. It’s all for the greater good, she tried to reassure herself. It’s all for the greater good. It’s all for the greater good…
Pinkie Pie sighed, watching as Canterlot grew smaller as the train carried them further and further away. “I wish Twilight could’ve come with us.”
“She had to stay; Princess Luna asked her to,” Rarity said moodily as she ripped stitches out of the skirt she had brought to work on for the trip back.
“Rarity, I’m sorry about what happened with Curl de Prance,” Fluttershy said timidly.
“Don’t you mean what didn’t happen?” Rarity threw her skirt away from her and pouted.
“Oh, get over yourself,” Rainbow Dash snapped. “So your big fancy meeting got canceled, big deal. Princess Celestia died!”
“You don’t understand,” Rarity wailed. “This is a huge setback to my career; it could be months before I get another chance to meet with her again.”
“Tell it to someone who cares.”
“Now, you listen here, Rainbow Dash-“
“Stop it, both o’ ya!” Applejack yelled. “You’re both actin’ like children. Now shut up an’ listen up. We need t’talk.”
Pinkie Pie blinked. “About what?”
Applejack checked to make sure the compartment door was closed. “About Twilight an’ what happened in Canterlot.”
“We are not talking about that,” Rainbow Dash said shortly.
“Yeah, we Pinkie Promised!” Pinkie added.
Applejack stared at her friends in disbelief. “Doesn’t any o’ this bother ya’ll?”
“Of course it does,” Rarity said. “It’s terrible that this happened, but you heard what Twilight said. We can’t hate her for something that was an accident.”
“Ah’m not talkin’ about hatin’ her, but she still killed Princess Celestia an’ lied about it!”
“You’re not going to tell, are you?” Fluttershy gasped.
“You Pinkie Promised!” Pinkie cried.
“Ah’m not gonna tell,” Applejack assured them. “But Twilight’s changed. She’s not the same person who came t’Ponyville all those years ago. What if this is only the beginning?”
“It’s not like that,” Rainbow said. “Twilight lost her temper and it ended really badly, but we’re her friends. If we don’t support her in this, then who will?”
“Maybe,” Applejack said darkly. “But what happens when Twilight loses her temper with Princess Luna?”
No one said anything. Outside Equestria’s countryside sped past. It was as beautiful as ever, but it felt different somehow. A shadow was beginning to settle over Equestria, and it wouldn’t be long before the once peaceful kingdom was consumed by it.
Author's Note
Is it terrible that I have a lot of fun writing this? Does that make me a terrible person? I will admit though, I did feel really bad for Luna. I hoped you guys like that I've thrown Flash Sentry into the mix. He'll be Twilight's personal guard; who knows what that'll lead to...
