The Legacy and the Remnant

“Luna, listen to me. You will have to keep order, and protect our royal subjects.” Twilight knew that voice too well. It took her eyes a while to adjust to the rather dimly lit room, but soon she saw her mentor speaking to a shady figure.

“Tia, what are you saying?”

Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?

“It will be up to you to keep this civilization intact, and please be patient with Twilight. It will take a while for her to accept the truth.” Twilight wanted to speak. She wanted to know what she had to do in this conversation. But she couldn’t. Her mouth wouldn’t move.

“Tia, what do you mean it will be up to me? We are both going to rule Equestria together!” The sisters acted as if they couldn’t see Twilight.

“Good luck and I’m sorry little sister.” As each word escaped from her, the already dim room began to darken even more. Princess Celestia’s body began to fade along with it.

“Tia? Tia!!!........” The voices began fading, as the room became pitch black. Suddenly, Twilight lost all balance in her body, and collapsed to the ground, as if an invisible force knocked her out. Even in the dark room, she could feel the world around her beginning to fall apart…..

The sun rose that morning with an hour of delay. Everypony was puzzled by the peculiar incident. For over a week, the newspapers’ front page was filled with the rumors of Princess Celestia, and “professional’s” theory on why it was caused.
Unfortunately, the only theories that made a little bit of sense were either that the incident was a mischief by one’s deceit, or the princess simply made a mistake, a mistake for the first time ever in a millennium. The newspapers began writing nasty articles about the princess.

“SUBJECTS DEMAND EXPLANATION” That was the heading on the front page.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake……” Twilight groaned in annoyance as she read. “Professionals? More like lunatics… So she made a tiny mistake for the first time. It’s just an hour of delay! Why do they have to all pile up and criticize her like she doesn’t know about Equestria at all in the first place?”

As the days passed, the headings got worse, and in the 5th paper after the incident,

“PRINCESS CELESTIA; DOES SHE DESERVE TO RULE OVER EQUESTRIA?”

“It’s come to this!!!” Twilight ripped the paper into shreds with her magic, and tossed them onto the floor. Some of the bits were on fire. She was indeed, enraged by the other ponies’ sudden lack of royalty to their princess.

“But...” Twilight wondered. In these kinds of occasions, the princess would send a letter to Twilight immediately. Maybe something bad has happened to her.
Suddenly, the words from last night’s dream ran across her mind. Twilight felt a sudden urge to write to the princess. As she picked up her quill with her magic, she heard another familiar voice. Spike was calling from downstairs.

“Hey I’m back! While I was at the market, a letter from the princess arrived!”

About time, Twilight thought as she got up to head downstairs.

(A week back in Canterlot)

“No…this can’t be happening…” Luna stared blankly at the lifeless body of her royal sister.

This must be a dream.

“Haha…okay, joke’s over…come on sister…”

This has to be a dream.

“Tia, please! It’s not funny anymore!”

Please, this needs to be a dream.

She didn’t want to believe it. There were no signs of Celestia breathing, or any sort of life left in the body.

“Tia……”

This wasn’t a dream.

Luna collapsed to the floor, tears flowing freely from her eyes with devastation and grief. She honestly didn’t know what to do. After minutes of staring into her sister’s blank eyes, thoughts began pouring into her.
Without her, who will raise the sun? Who will lead the government? How should Luna tell everypony about this? Worst of all, how will Equestria remain as a civilization without a ruler?
Then, Luna remembered the dream she had last night. She remembered exactly what Celestia has told her in the dream.

“Luna, listen to me. You will have to keep order, and protect our royal subjects.”

She has watched Celestia attend the meeting. She has watched Celestia raise the sun. Luna has watched Celestia rule Equestria ever since she was released from the conscience of Nightmare Moon.

After another minute or so of silence, Luna got up to her hooves. The news of death must not be out in public right now. She stared at the empty body for another minute, until tears starting welling up again.

No.
Luna turned back to the massive door and stepped outside, gently closing the door behind her. There was no time to waste. The sun was supposed to rise half an hour ago. Then she remembered another thing Celestia has told her in the dream.
“It will be up to you to keep this civilization intact, and please be patient with Twilight. It will take a while for her to accept the truth.”
Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. If there was anyone else who needed to know about this, it was her. She was her sister’s prized pupil and the wielder of the Element of Magic after all. She had to write to Twilight Sparkle, but not now. Luna had a sun to raise.

“The carrots were only 3 bits today.” Spike said as she handed the letter to Twilight. “Last week was what, like 5 bits?”
Spike has grown quite a bit in the past years. His voice was getting lower, and he was already taller than Big Macintosh. Rarity was already aware of Spikes secret crush on her, but the shy dragon had still kept it a secret.
“Thank you Spike.” Twilight smiled. He may have changed in looks, but for her, Spike was still the number one assistant.
“It’s been a while since the princess last sent you a letter huh? I thought she……”
The conversation stopped dead on it tracks as spike pulled out a half burned carrot out of the bag.
“Oh…..heh, I think it was the fire when the letter…uh…. Um….well there goes another 3 bits.”
Twilight couldn’t hold back her laugh. Spike seemed a bit upset at first, but soon after they shared a nice laugh.
“It’s alright, it’s just one carrot.” Twilight chuckled as she opened the scroll. Spike always seemed to lighten up the mood.
The letter was short. The letters were messed up with unnecessary letters scattered everywhere, while the paper itself was ripped up and some of the inks were faded.
“Deaewtar Twiligdsa……parkle, I speak ………….of great urgedaghncy. ……………. to Casefanterlot immfagaediately. A royal …………………. soon in Phaeshnyville towhsehn ……………….ruly, Luna.”
Twilight felt her stomach twist and turn. From Princess Luna, and not Princess Celestia. What has happened? She turned to Spike.
“Spike, pack up. We’re going to Canterlot. I’m not sure how long we’ll stay. About a week worth of stuff will do. Princess Luna needs us.” Spike was rather surprised by this.
“Princess Luna needs us? Why not Celestia?”
“I’m not sure. It says it’s a matter of great urgency. Now hurry, the chariot is supposed to arrive at the town square any moment now!”
“Um…alright!”
Twilight was prepared for the worst.