Why so glum, my faithful student?
Aside from the gentle tapping of golden shoes against polished silver floors, the halls in the Canterlot castle were quiet, and empty. Unlike a few hours ago, they were full of party ponies and guards, with loud music playing all around the castle to celebrate Twilight's coronation. Twilight's ears twitched to the sound of her shoes hitting the floor as she made her way down the halls, her mind racing with questions and thoughts as to why she was a princess now. But every time she tried to ask Celestia why, she would make up an excuse, and wonder off to do something and act busy. It made Twilight nervous, and somewhat fearful that her being a princess wasn't something all that great after all. But still, she couldn't help but feel happy. After all, she really was the luckiest mare in Equestria today, and it was all because of her friends.
"Twilight?"
A voice made Twilight jump a little bit and spin around, only to see Celestia. A grin spread on the young Alicorn's face, and she trotted up to Celestia, giving her a quick hug. "Princess! I've been looking for you for a while." Twilight said as she pulled out of the hug. But the truth was, that Twilight wasn't looking for anyone, in fact, she didn't even know where she was going.
"I figured you might be. That's why I came to look for you. I wanted to know if you would like to join me in my private chambers to discuss any questions you may have. I know you've been trying to ask me all day. But I thought the time wasn't very appropriate." Celestia said and gave her usual warm smile.
Twilight nodded with excitement . "I do have a lot to ask you. " She replied happily. Finally. She would get to let all her questions out to clear her head.
"Follow me." Celestia said, and turned down one of the many halls of the castle, and up a long winding stair case that lead to the top of the castle. Twilight and Celestia never spoke a word as they made their way up. After what seemed like forever, but was only 5 minutes, they made it up, and Celestia's horn lit up in a yellow aura, opening the large double doors to her room.
Twilight and Celestia both walked in, and the doors gently shut with a quiet 'click'. A small fire was burning in the fire place by the large rug Celestia laid on at night, and aside from the fire, no other light was in the room. Twilight slowly walked over, and laid down on the soft rug, the warmth from the fire was nice compared to the some-what chilly halls...
Celestia was quick to join Twilight, and laid right beside her, putting her wing around her. Twilight sighed happily and leaned into her, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, a wave of nostalgia washing over her as she remembered the times of when they would relax, and talk when Twilight was just a filly.
"So..." Celestia began. "What were your questions?" She finished and looked down at the already-very-relaxed Twilight.
Twilight looked up for a moment. "Well.. For starters, what's going to happen with me and my friends, I'm not going to have to leave them, am I..?" She asked, her gaze locking onto the memorizing fire. She would have so many royal duties now, it wouldn't be a surprise for her if she had to see them less.
"Of course not, I would not have made you a princess if it meant for you to leave your friends... You may have more responsibilities then you did before, but you will always have time for your friends, I promise." Celestia reassured and nuzzled Twilight's head gently. Twilight smiled.
"What about a kingdom..? I may be a good friend, but I wouldn't make a good leader..." Twilight's ears laid down a bit, and she let out a small sigh.
"Patients, Twilight. One day, you will have your own kingdom. But that will not be for a while. You need to take time to get used to being an Alicorn, and learn a bit more before that will come." Celestia reassured again.
Twilight nodded, and smiled a bit. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed..."
"Understandable. It won't be as hard as you think, Twilight. I promise. Get keep a level head, and don't push to much on yourself at once."
"I won't... But, Celestia, I have one more thing to ask you..." Twilight turned and looked Celestia dead in the eyes, Celestia's eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked back at the lavender mare beneath her wing.
"Yes?"
"...Why...?"
"What do you mean...?"
"Why am I an Alicorn...? Why me...? Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more grateful, but...?" Twilight cocked her head to the side, and her ears laid all the way back.
Celestia broke her gaze from Twilight for a moment and took a deep breath, sighing loudly. She searched her mind for a way to tell her. "Well..." She started, and removed her wing from Twilight, making Twilight get nervous. "Can you tell me what this world needs, Twilight? What this world needs to run off of, in order to be a good place...?"
Twilight looked down and mused for a minute before looking up. "Love, and magic?"
"Exactly." Celestia nodded. "What are you and Cadence?"
"Well... Cadence is the Alicorn of love, and...I'm the Alicorn of magic." She said, and looked down, furrowing her brow. "But... I still don't understand..." She said and looked back up at Celestia, a more confused look on her face.
Celestia just glanced at Twilight and shook her head. "Love and magic is all this world needs." She said simply, hoping Twilight would piece this together on her own. Twilight just tilted her head, and started to think. After what felt like forever, she spoke, worry filling her voice.
"W-what do you mean, 'all this world needs'? The world needs you, too. And Luna..."
"That is true. But me and Luna have been alive for over One-Thousand years, Twilight."
"Y-you don't mean..?!" Twilight's eyes widened with horror, no, she didn't mean...She couldn't mean... She slowly sat up. Celestia did just the same, and she nodded.
"Over time, Alicorn's lose power. Power is what makes up an Alicorn. After a while, that power fades." Celestia's gaze was now hooked on the fire, finding little moving pictures in it.
"NO!" Twilight shouted and fully stood up. "So, you made me, and Cadence Alicorn's, because...You and Luna are....!!!" She paused, breathing heavily as tears started to streak her face, she couldn't bare to say the word.
"Dying." Celestia finished for her. Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia could see tears streaming down Twilight's face; something she hated seeing, yet something she had seen so many times before. In Twilight's head, all she wanted to do was wake up from her bad dream, or at least act like she misheard something, and maybe Celestia said something else...
But she was too smart to know that wasn't true. It hit her all too quickly, she knew what this was. And it broke her. She hit the floor with a 'thud' and covered her eyes with her hooves. Celestia was like Twilight's step mother, and now, she's finding this out, on a day like this?
Celestia's gaze snapped from the fire and she stood up, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder to try and urge Twilight to calm down. "There, there, Twilight... It won't be for a few years... And me and Luna will always be there when you look up at the sky." Celestia said in a calm, reassuring voice.
Through the sobs and occasional 'no''s that came from Twilight, she managed to get some words out, and uncover her eyes to look up at Celestia. "W-what do you mean...?" She asked.
"When it's time for me and Luna to go, she and I will cast our final spell, and she will become one with the moon, and I will become one with the sun. This way, we can make our leave, as every living thing must, yet still light up the sky, day, and night." Celestia explained and smiled. She smile that was usually genuine, was fake, but she hoped Twilight wouldn't see past it. The truth was, that Celestia was scared at the thought, but it was something that must be done.
Twilight slowly sat up, and Celestia slowly sat down. Twilight wrapped her arms around Celestia tightly and sobbed into her pure white coat. "I don't want that day to come..." Twilight said shakily.
"...I don't either, Twilight. But I promise, when the day does come, and me and Luna must go, I won't ever really be gone. All you'll have to do is look up." She said and rubbed Twilight's back, trying to coax her to calm down.
Twilight let out a forced giggle and her sobs slowly died down into soft pants. "I-i guess you're right... But... It will be so hard. I'll miss you and Luna so much... I won't know what to do when you're gone..." She said and tightened her grip around Celestia, as if hanging onto her for dear life.
Celestia looked down at Twilight, and moved Twilight's chin up so she could look at her. "I know it will be hard. But I assure you that you will always know what to do. You won't need me to help and guide you by then. You'll be perfectly fine, and you'll get the support you need from your friends, and you'll always have Cadence to help you aswell. But it's not for a while now. So don't worry, Twilight, we have plenty of time between now and then."
Twilight nodded and smiled just slightly. "A-alright..." She said and looked over at the fire again. She started to feel herself relax again, and take in the warmth of both the fire and her mentor.
Celestia started humming the lullaby she made for Twilight when she was a filly. She didn't know why she started doing it, but she did. Twilight's smile widened, and felt herself getting some-what sleepy. It was then she noticed how tired and run down from today that she was, and she really could use the rest... Sleeping by the fire with Celestia would be perfect.
Twilight fixed her ears on the music, and eyes on the fire, finding little pictures in it like Celestia was doing just a few minutes before. Slowly, but surely, Twilight let herself fall asleep. A part of her still hoping this was a dream...
And that she would always be, Celestia's faithful student. Forever.
