A Princess's Duty

by PurpleIsMyFavorite

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Sad, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Dark, Shining Armor, Prince Blueblood, Alternate Universe
Length: 6392

In an Alternate Universe, instead of assuming her role as the Princess of Friendship, Twilight finds herself donning the mantle as Ruler of Equestria.

With the death of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Twilight dons the mantle as ruler of Equestria and sets out to learn about the new way of life without magic. As nature wreaks havoc upon the world, ponies everywhere struggle to survive, turning to their prince and queen for help. But as the years drag on, Twilight becomes uncertain she can restore the magic, while the memories of Celestia and Luna are slowly but surely fading away...

Published 2014-08-07 20:10:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-14 01:43:43 UTC

A New Era

Author's Note

I usually don't write such dark fics, but I figured I'd just give this style a try. I'm just going to give a warning that this story as a whole does not have a happy ending, but I feel that it is fitting.

A New Era

It was hot.

Far too hot.

Twilight stood in the castle courtyard, right where the sun was most intense, her coat glistening with sweat. No matter where she went, she could not seek any refuge from this sweltering weather. The heat index was on its third day, and rain had been very scarce since the summer began. The courtyard grass beneath her hooves started to turn a light brown, and the brittle blades crackled and snapped under her every step.

Her pace was slow and clumsy; the heat was already taking its toll on her body. She paused in front of two white stone statues. Both were nearly identical, depicting alicorn princesses with long, flowing manes. They faced each other, rearing on their hindquarters. Two horns were nearly touching tip to tip, and between the gap was a small stone carving of the moon and the sun, the only two things with color against the rest of the white stoned sculptures.

Right under their hooves was a large plaque, its length stretching from one alicorn to the next.

Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, and riser of the Sun.
Princess Luna, Second Ruler of Equestria and princess of the night.

The very sight brought a tear to Twilight’s eye, and she wiped it away. It took almost ten years for her to agree, but she finally permitted the construction ponies to build a monument for the two princesses. She kept the plaque vague, however. All she wanted was to remember who they were and how they have served their kingdom over the millennia.

Twilight rattled the metal bars maniacally, screaming “MURDERER!” repeatedly. She screamed until her voice grew hoarse and her hooves ached. With one last cry, she released her hold on the bars and slumped down onto the hard, stony floor, weeping uncontrollably.

On the other side of the bars sat a lonesome prisoner, who kept his composure and watched the purple alicorn’s tantrum impassively. He was a feeble looking creature with scrawny brown hands and brittle fingers. The hood of his dark grey cloak obscured most of his face, but two yellow glows of his orbs shone through the shadow like the eyes of a predator.

“I see you are upset, princess.”

The calmness of his voice only intensified Twilight’s contempt. With swollen eyes, she glared at him and bared her teeth. “It’s all your fault,” she indicted, her voice wavering.

“So, it is,” he replied.

Princess Cadence appeared by Twilight’s side. A long, thick scar stretched across her right eye and ran all the way down to the base of her jaw. One of her wings was missing, and a stump of where it used to be took its place. Bruises of all colors and sizes splotched across different regions of her pink body, and she winced with every movement she made.

She wrapped her remaining wing around Twilight. “We have to decide what to do with you, Tirek.”

Tirek intertwined his fingers and rested his hands against his chest. “Indeed. That is why I am incarcerated. There is not much I can do; I am completely at your mercy.”

“Which we possess none for you,” the pink alicorn spat, fixing a harsh glare at the prisoner. “I am not one to support violence, but I say you deserve the death penalty for what you’ve done!”

“I killed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” He said it as if he had done nothing more than steal a cookie from the jar.

“Your murdered them!” Cadence’s voice echoed across the dungeon. Even Tirek was slightly taken aback by this intensity. A tear trickled down Cadence’s cheek.

After a moment’s hesitation, Tirek answered, “if you want to get technical with words, then yes, I murdered them.” And then gave her an empty yet slightly sadistic smile. “You would’ve met the same fate had the elements of harmony not defeated me.”

The muscles in Cadence’s jaw tightened, and her body vibrated with anger. But she said nothing.

Twilight held tight into her sister-in-law, and focused on Tirek. His wrists were bounded together by cuffs and a magical gag hung around his mouth as a group of sparkling dust. It was to disable him from sucking anyone’s magic. There was no way he could do anymore damage, and he had no way to free himself from the inevitable. And it appeared that he had come to terms with his fate.

Seeing this only made the purple alicorn tense. She had so many questions, but she could not comprehend past the fact that he had ruthlessly slaughtered Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It didn’t even matter to her right now that how it was possible to kill somepony immortal; they were gone. Gone.

Gone...

“It’s very hot outside; you should be in doors!”

Twilight did not turn around. “Please, Blueblood, let me be.”

“What are you doing out here?” The prince pressed, and he then appeared next to her. Twilight watched as his lips twitched, as they always did whenever he gazed at the alicorn statues. “Don’t tell me that you still think that somehow they’ll come back.”

It was a stupid thought on her part, but she could never let that go. “They’re immortal.” It was an excuse she would always use, and it seemed to be the most supportive for her little fantasy, which had been slipping away over the years.

Prince Blueblood snorted. “They’re dead, honey. You saw their bodies, you watched them die, you witnessed their burial. Tirek told you himself that he killed them. It’s been eleven years and they haven’t risen from their grave.” He gently took her chin in his hoof and turned her head so their eyes would meet. “They’re gone.”

“Please,” she whispered as she pulled herself away; she wiped her eyes. “I know; I know.” The tears would not stop coming. “But, maybe… it’s just that… they’ve lived for over thousands of years and... it’s impossible.”

“But it happened,” he said, his voice softening. “They’re gone.” He paused, looked at the sky, and then added more softly. “And so is their magic.”

When the black, thorny plants kidnapped Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, their absence created mayhem, leaving both the sun and the moon suspended in the sky simultaneously. Half the sky was as blue as daytime, while the other half sparkled with stars against a dark sleepy canvas. But something else changed with their death. It was as if the sun and the moon were no longer dependent on their magic.

“Their magic isn’t gone,” Twilight’s voice crackled. “It just turned into nature.”

“Nature?” Blueblood echoed.

The princess nodded. “I’ve done some research over the years after the princesses were murdered. I came across some books that talk about worlds that do not have ponies or other creatures control the weather or the earth; in fact, some of these places are completely devoid of magic. All of these things are controlled by a phenomenon called nature.”

“Nature,” Prince Blueblood repeated again. “And so Equestria is now under nature’s control?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied, running a hoof over the plaque. “Besides for the basic magic and spells ponies still have - you know, being able to levitate objects with our unicorn horns, pegasus being able to fly - there are now forces that have become beyond our control.”

“The course of nature being one of them,” Prince Blueblood finished thoughtfully. He then frowned. “Well, I suppose nature is being a tad more than rude,” his voice was seething with sarcasm, “because it has not rained in quite some time and it’s been unbearably hot. I say it’s an evil being.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Nature is not a sentient being. At least, not that I found in any of my research. It’s just a natural phenomenon like gravity, or inertia, or magnetics.”

“I think you’ve been doing a bit too much research since you became queen,” Blueblood scowled in her direction. “Whether or not nature has a malicious intent, it still is creating problems. Haven’t you realized that this heat has destroyed numerous crops across Equestria, causing thousands of ponies to starve? But you’ve spent all these years buried in a library reading all your educational books!”

“Excuse me!” Twilight snapped. “Don’t you dare accuse me of hiding in my books! You think I’m unaware of what’s going on? That’s why I’ve been researching. It’s to look up ways to help improve our new life and take care of all these problems.” She was beyond offended. “Didn’t you realize that one of my best friends lives in an apple orchard and she’s come to me many times throughout the summer asking for help because the weather’s been terrible?”

“Of course you’d be aware of her problems,” the prince growled, turning his head from hers. “Outside of your little circle of friends and the mounds of books in library, I doubt you don’t know what’s going on in the rest of Equestria.”

“I do too.”

“Hah!” Prince Blueblood snorted and smiled, but it was not of sarcasm or malice. “Then how come I’ve always been the one greeting the ponies that come into the castle - aside from your friends - for help? Meetings are held nightly, to which you rarely attend. You even fail to tell me some basic information that you’ve learned from your research. Hence, my lack of knowledge regarding nature.”

As he continued, his voice edged with pain. “I know we’re not in love, but we are married. As a husband and second ruler of Equestria, I feel that I at least have a right to know certain information from you.” And then his voice hardened. “And I do expect some participation on your part. I cannot make decisions and run to different regions of our kingdom alone.”

“You really don’t think I do anything around the kingdom, do you?” Twilight retorted, her face growing hot. “That’s because you’ve been spoiled your whole life until Tirek stole all our cutie marks and murdered the princesses!”

“Please, Twilight-”

But the princess’s passionate rampage would not cease. “You’re complaining about putting effort in after you’ve had everything spoon fed to you up until recently? And now you have the audacity to accuse me of lazing around?”

“Sweetheart, stop this! Your face-”

“And don’t think you’re just going to sweet talk me out of this by calling me some pathetic love names because I… I…” the scene around her started to take on a shade of green and the sun suddenly became dim. Her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton until she heard a low pitched hum resonating in her head.

She could hear Prince Blueblood speak, but his voice sounded like it was in the distance. When Twilight turned her head to face him, the statue of the two princesses wobbled violently. The floor beneath her caved down and then suddenly popped up like a wave, constantly rippling up and down. Her hooves felt weak beneath her weight and she stumbled forward into her husband’s grasp.

“The heat is getting to you,” he said into her ears. “I fear you may be dehydrating.”

Dehydrating?

“I need water,” she murmured.

“Yes,” Blueblood replied, gently guiding her in a direction that was unclear to her. “And we need to cool you down. I’ll send the servants to get a fan, and maybe set up a cool bath, too.”

Twilight’s head was throbbing so hard, she could not even think straight. Helplessly, and still internally clinging onto her fading passion, she followed her way to somewhere cooler.

“I can’t do this,” Twilight whispered, closing her eyes.

“Equestria needs a new ruler,” Shining Armor replied, resting a hoof on his sister’s back. “Cadence and I must take care of the Crystal Empire. Celestia’s and Luna’s magic’s absence has created havoc there. Their crystal powers are draining, and the wintry land is now closing in on the kingdom. We need to make sure we can help these ponies survive.”

Twilight opened her eyes and gazed at the sun setting. On its own. “But I am so young, Shining. How can I rule an entire empire? I lack leadership experience. My whole princess career has been geared towards learning the power and magic of friendship. Princess Celestia never taught me anything regarding sovereignty or how to run a monarchy. I… I can’t do this. At least, not alone.”

“What about your friends?” Shining Armor suggested. “You’re all the elements of harmony.”

“I can’t burden them with that,” Twilight replied. “They have their own problems to take care of. Fluttershy is working with other animal specialists to tame the animals. She can no longer understand their language, nor do they possess the ability of a sentient being’s comprehension. Rainbow Dash is working with many other pegasi to figure out why they cannot control the weather. Applejack reported that earth ponies cannot work the ground the way they used to. There’s so much change - I doubt we’ll even survive.”

“I have a suggestion.”

Both Twilight and Shining Armor turned their attention towards the source of the voice. Prince Blueblood stood by the doorway, his demeanor very different from when Twilight last recalled seeing him. Unlike his usual haughty and snobby disposition, the white unicorn carried himself more humbly and he seemed wounded. When he had spoken, his voice was quiet and slow, as if he was carefully choosing his words.

As soon as he had their attention, the prince continued. “Actually, it wasn’t really my idea. But I agree with it, and I want to make sure Princess Twilight would agree as well.”

“What is the idea?” Twilight asked.

It seemed difficult for Blueblood to answer. “I would like to take your hoof in marriage in order to help you rule Equestria.”

The idea seemed so preposterous that Twilight almost laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head. “I am not.”

Twilight turned towards her brother. “BBBFF, is he for real?”

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the prince before him. “And exactly who put this idea in your head?”

“The council,” Blueblood answered. “They held a meeting this morning to discuss suggestions for Twilight’s dilemma. I was there. A few said that she should get married and have a king beside her. It wasn’t my idea, but I volunteered to help.”

Before Twilight could speak, Shining Armor spoke. “And the council agreed to this? You are the most incompetent pony ever. Cadence remembers when you were a colt. She’s not one to gossip, but based on what I’ve heard from her, and what I’ve seen from you, you are nothing but a spoiled, arrogant, high-horsed, pathetic drip!”

“Shining,” Twilight remonstrated. “If there is one thing I will not tolerate at a time like this, it’s insults.”

“But he’s right,” Prince Blueblood’s voice sounded pained. “That’s why I’m asking you, Twilight, for your permission. The council only agreed because I have royal blood. But that’s the only quality I have.”

The alicorn had never seen the unicorn prince speak with such humility. Either he was acting, or he had changed. Twilight believed the latter; everypony was deeply affected by the tragedies that were inflicted upon Equestria, and he was no exception.

Shining Armor vehemently expressed his disapproval of the idea. “You do not have what it takes to rule a kingdom. Why should we give you that authority?”

“I do not have what it takes to rule a kingdom, either,” Twilight retorted.

“And why are you defending him?”

She wondered why herself, but words formed naturally on her tongue as she answered. “Prince Blueblood has been involved with royalty longer than I have. He may have some knowledge that I don’t. Also, all decisions are not only going to be incumbent upon us. We’ll have the council to help us in the beginning. I can’t do this alone, and… maybe I do need to have a king to help me.”

“But him?”

“I will give him a year to prove himself worthy,” Twilight said, as if making this decision was natural to her. She turned her attention towards Prince Blueblood. “For the next year, you and I are going to work on how we can take care of Equestria. If you prove yourself worthy, then I will take your hoof in marriage.”

“And if I don’t?” The prince asked.

Twilight looked away. “Then I guess I’ll just learn how to run Equestria myself.”

Twilight gazed out the window, and a cup of water sat readily next to her on the window sill. For the rest of the day, she had been suspended indoors with nothing more to do than listening to her subjects' chattering around the castle hall. Prince Blueblood had banned her from the library for the remainder of the day. The library, he claimed, was too stuffy and that would only prevent her from recovering that slight dehydration, which almost reached the point where she would've needed medical assistance. Fortunately, a cool room and continuous sips and gulps of water worked well, and she now felt significantly better.

However, her mind still felt muddled from the sheer boredom that plagued her. The prince made it a point to keep his eye on her, and Twilight was so annoyed by his constant presence that she deliberately ignored him. When he spoke, she drowned out his words with thoughts of her own. This time, she was watching the late afternoon sun making its decline towards the west. It would be evening soon, and Blueblood would have to leave her to attend another meeting.

Even if she decided to attend, he would probably not let her. It was a big relief.

When Blueblood was called for the meeting, Twilight felt a large weight lift off her shoulder. She enjoyed the solitude, watching the sky change colors as the large orb slowly sunk into the horizon. The evening air was still warm, but the weakening of the sun's rays felt much better.

It wasn't too long until there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Twilight called.

"Your highness," said the royal guard as he entered the room. He bore a grim expression with a hint of disappointment. "The meeting has requested your presence immediately."

That caught Twilight off guard. Would Prince Blueblood allow this? Knowing him, he probably grew tired of handling these meetings himself. She could not figure him out. Either he acted as an overbearing mother, or somepony that treated her like she was completely incompetent. Perhaps these behaviors were one in the same.

"Tell them I'll be by in ten minutes."

Decisions

Dread filled Twilight's insides as she walked down the castle corridors. Years had passed since she last set hoof in this section of the castle, and old, suppressed memories wafted into her mind like a horrible stench. She could feel it by the way her hoofsteps echoed off the walls; by the way her feet trod against the marble floor; by the dimness of the light as windows became fewer; and by the way the she faced a pair of large wooden doors.

They stood tall and erect, looming over her like a formidable shadow. Two golden knobs jutted forward, as if daring her to open. With her heart pounding, the princess rested her hoof on one of the knobs and hesitantly twisted it. The door moaned as she inched it open, and she took a deep breath before opening it completely.

In the center of the room was a large conference table with enough room for twelve occupants. There were eighteen present, so the remaining six stood off to the side, but they were very much involved in the discussion. The eighteen ponies consisted of two princes - Shining Armor and Blueblood - two princesses - Twilight and Cadence - four royal guards, and the last ten were members of the royal council.

"Tirek's execution will take place tomorrow at dawn!" Shining Armor declared as his hoof hit the table. The impact jarred Twilight into an upright position.

"I say we should've done it sooner," Blueblood growled. "Right after the elements of harmony restored our magic."

"That's the problem," one of the council members piped up. "Tirek is a magical being. Though now he possesses none of our magic, so long as he still has the ability to suck out our powers, he'll be tricky to execute."

Prince Blueblood cleared his throat. "Last I checked, I'm a magical being myself. And as far as I'm concerned, it's easy to kill me."

The council member shook her head. "He possesses the magic that's enabled him immortality, just like Princess Luna and Princess Celestia."

"And they're dead now," the prince said indignantly. "I still don't know how that's possible."

Cadence, her scars so patent that Twilight could not help but look at them first, sighed disapprovingly. Her voice quavered. "We had given Twilight all of our magic when Tirek banished us to Tartarus. Once he had taken our powers from Twilight, he... he..." She broke down to the floor in a pink, scarred heap.

Shining Armor immediately helped her up, and supported her posture with his body. Though Cadence was spilled over him like a piece of cloth, she managed to utter, "...He... attacked..." the last word was merely a whisper, but the ponies in the room all understood what she said. Or at least, Twilight assumed they understood.

"Without their magic," Twilight decided to explain, allowing Cadence some time to regain her composure, "the princesses are as susceptible to death as the rest of us. It's their magic that's given them their immortality. Tirek took advantage of their vulnerability."

The room was silent for a moment while this piece of information sunk in. Only Cadence's quiet sobs could be heard. The mood even put a damper to Blueblood's condemnation. He cast his eyes to the ground and closed them tightly. Twilight realized that he was holding back his tears, but then gave up and let them trail down his cheeks.

She sighed, blinking back her own need to cry. "If..." she began, testing her voice to see if the participants would be receptive to it. The pairs of curious eyes resting on her indicated their assent. "If," she continued, "if we can somehow drain Tirek of his magic, then there's a chance that we can carry out his execution." The last word rolled bitterly off her tongue. Never in her life did she imagine that she'd be issuing the death penalty.

“So how do we do that?” A royal guard asked, scratching his head beneath his helmet self consciously. “Unless he willfully gives up his magic, like how the princesses gave them yours.”

A familiar voice said, “there is a way.”

Twilight blinked in surprised when she caught sight of a long sinewy silhouette in the shadows of the room. His limber body solemnly stepped into the light, where the afternoon sun highlighted every detail of his face. There was something about his mismatched eyes that replaced its comical energy with somberness, and he walked with so much meekness that Twilight hardly recognized him.

“Your highness,” he said.

“Discord,” Twilight replied.

Discord did not squeeze his way through to the table. He just stood over the ponies as he spoke with the princess. “There is a way to drain Tirek of his magic, but it can only be done through the power of another immortal being.” He gestured himself.

“So tell us!” Shining Armor snapped.

“Why should we bother listening to him?” Prince Blueblood cut in. “If it weren’t for his betrayal, the princesses would still be alive today!”

Everypony in the room spoke out their agreement at once, and Discord flinched. Then one after another began shouting in a incoherent cacophony about the situation being his fault. The creases on the draconequus’s forehead deepened as his puffy eyebrows arched in pain, and he buried his face into his paw. Between the cracks of his fingers, Twilight could see tears trickling through.

“Silence!” She shouted with a raised hoof. The voices obediently died down, and each pony respectfully gave the princess his or her attention. Even Discord removed his paw to look at her.

With the focus now on her, Twilight felt suddenly self-conscious. Her mouth went dry and it took a few, long painstaking moments for her to find her voice.

Clearing her throat, she began. “Discord may be the master of chaos, but that doesn’t mean that he intended the princesses’ death with his betrayal. In fact, had Tirek not double crossed Discord, and they kept a duel kingship, I doubt Discord would allow Tirek to murder the princesses.

“My friends and I, especially Fluttershy, have been teaching Discord the importance of friendship since Princess Celestia granted him liberty from being a frozen statue. He’s still a novice, hence how easy it was for Tirek to persuade him with power. And had it not been for Discord teaming with Tirek, my friends and I would have not been able to open that chest – Discord gave me the final key.

“This may sound bad, but he wouldn’t have acquired that final key had he not joined forces with Tirek.”

Shining Armor stomped his hoof on the ground. Had he been any stronger, he might have broken the floor. “Had he apprehended Tirek in the first place, like he was supposed to, there would have been no need to open that chest. We would’ve returned that fiend to Tartarus where he belongs!”

“With all that magic he had already stolen from innocent ponies?” Twilight challenged. “He probably could’ve mustered enough power from his small inventory to battle Discord and escape Tartarus a second time. After all, he escaped as a helpless creature in the first place.”

“That’s because Cerberus abandoned his post,” Prince Blueblood interjected.

“And how do we know if somepony else would guard him well after we incarcerate him a second time?” Twilight pressed.

Shining Armor shook his head. “Shoulda – coulda – woulda – it doesn’t matter!” His face turned red. “We’re deterring away from the fact that he’s responsible for all this because he willfully chose to betray us. Now look where we’re at! And you’re defending him?” He looked at her incredulously.

Twilight wanted to throw her hooves into face and scream while falling to her knees. How she managed to keep her composure, she didn’t understand.

“You don’t know Discord the way my friends and I do,” her voice was a lot more even than she felt. “His passion resides in chaos – not evil. That’s why Princess Celestia had us – well, mainly Fluttershy – befriend him because Fluttershy knows how to help Discord and show him the importance of friendship. Obviously, he has a ways to go, betraying us has definitely shown that. But his remorse after Tirek double crossed him, even prior to the princesses’ murder has also shown that he’s come a long way. Killing them was not Discord’s plan; that was Tirek’s!” Her voice reverberated off the walls, and she realized that she was crying.

The room was silent for a moment, but Shining Armor was still fuming.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Discord stepped up.

“Princess,” he said, his voice soft. “I appreciate you coming to my defense. You’re right that it was not my intention to lose our beloved leaders… but I made a horrible decision, and it’s only right that I pay the price for it.”

“And what is your price?” Prince Blueblood spat, his temper matching Shining Armor’s. “Walking around with self pity?”

The draconequus shot him an angry glare. “The price I’m going to pay may take care of our problem with Tirek.”

“And what is that?” Twilight asked.

Discord’s expression darkened. “I can drain his magic. But that is going to require so much power that it’ll deplete my own magic. In other words, I’ll be an irregular creature with no special abilities other than an excuse for comic relief.”

Aghast, Twilight dropped her jaw. “Are you willing to do that?”

It took a few long moments before Discord answered. “Perhaps a week ago, I wouldn’t have suggested the idea to save myself the degradation. Things are different now, so yes, I am willing to do so.”

The conference table was less crowded than the last time she saw it. Prince Blueblood sat at the edge of the ellipse shaped furniture, surrounded by ten council ponies. They gave the princess a polite nod as she made her way towards an empty seat next to her husband.

“Your majesty,” the lead councilman, Chamber Lane, began as Twilight sat down. “The prince has informed us that you have some information regarding our bizarre weather behavior over the past decade. You say it’s called Nature.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she gazed at Blueblood. “You told them?”

He nodded firmly. “They should’ve known long ago. But I’ve done a poor job at explaining its essence. Perhaps you should try to tell them what Nature is and what it’s been doing to our lives.”

“Nature doesn’t do,” Twilight replied, now diverting her attention towards the council. “It just is.”

“Please explain,” Chamber Lane said.

Twilight explained at great length the concept of Nature. There are worlds that never had any sentient being control the rising of the sun and the moon, the weather pattern, or animal behavior. Somehow, there has been a natural order that prevented chaos. The sun knows when to set while the moon knows when to rise; animals understand when winter approaches, and they hibernate and wake up without a pony’s aid; seasons come and go at the appropriate time without the guidance of a calendar. The expression on the members’ faces matched exactly how Twilight felt when she first learned this information herself.

One of the members shook her head disbelievingly. “Is it a curse?”

“Not really,” Twilight answered. “It’s just a phenomenon. Would you call the law of gravity a curse if an earth pony falls off a cliff?”

“I’d call that pony an unfortunate,” she replied.

Twilight lowered her gaze. “And so are we.”

“What will it take to get rid of this horrible draught?” Another member asked, his voice squeaking with concern.

“Is there a way maybe to reinstate the magic in the weather?” Chamber Lane asked hopefully.

Twilight bit her lip, and Blueblood arched a brow. “Well is there?”

She shook her head. “I’ve spent the past eleven years researching that. Apparently, Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s power applied to all the ponies. Once their magic went, so did most of ours.”

“Will Equestria even survive this terrible heat if we can’t fix it?” The high voiced male asked in panic. “Crops are dying, ponies are starving, our resources are limited!”

The meeting erupted into a chorus of nervous murmurs. For the past decade, the weather was pretty fair, except for a few harsh winters that created blizzards so intense that the snow remained well into April. Summers have been fairly mild, except this one. It was never like Equestria suffered a draught before, but this was the first time without a leader like Celestia and her magic that could ebb the suffering with the weakening of the sun and having the pegasi summon rain.

But now it was completely unpredictable.

“There is something,” Twilight began, and all eyes fell hopefully onto her. “It’s a study called meteorology – a branch of science that focuses on forecasting the weather.”

Blueblood snorted. “Another piece of information you’ve been hiding from us.”

“It’s not quite ready for public knowledge, yet.”

“And why not?” Chamber Lane asked. “Princess, with all due respect, if there’s a possibility of predicting the weather, it’ll at least help us be able to prepare for the weather. We’ll know about future draughts and stack up on some food, or have preparations for blizzards and other extreme forms of weather. Even if isn’t ready for most citizens, we should at least be informed about this; we can help develop the theory.”

“I do have help,” Twilight replied, and she swallowed as if she’d eaten something hard. “We’re few, but we’ve spent the past six years studying the weather pattern and making predictions, most of which were inaccurate. I’ve turned to some of my books and read how creatures in other worlds predicted the weather forecast, but it involves instruments we don’t have.”

“Such as…?”

Twilight thought for a minute. “…like a barometer – something that measures the atmospheric pressure. Don’t ask me how it works; I’m not entirely sure of it, myself. But one thing we did find in our studies is that the atmospheric pressure does have a huge affect on our weather. Instead of pegasi being told to gather clouds and fill up the sky to make a storm, pressure causes cloud formations. We’ve come across another piece of information called a jet stream, but we’re currently figuring out what it means.”

“Honestly,” Prince Blueblood said after a moment’s pause. “I think you’re spending a little too much time in your studies.”

“This information can be vital,” Twilight objected.

“Yes, it can very well be,” the prince concurred. “However, you are the ruler of Equestria – I think it’s time you play that role a little more.”

Twilight arched a brow. “And what do you mean by that?”

“If I may, sire,” Chamber Lane spoke up. When Blueblood nodded his assent, the lead councilman continued. “Princess, while your knowledge regarding the weather and this so called nature is very crucial for our survival, right now we need you as our leader. Researching is one thing, but withholding all this information because, based on what I’ve gathered, you’re so engrossed in your studies for the past eleven years could cause more harm than good.

“With all due respect, I’m not saying you should abandon your research. Not at all. But it’s time, as Prince Blueblood has said, that you should take charge as ruler of Equestria. The prince volunteered to help you, not make all the decisions himself. You are Princess Celestia’s prized student, and you said so yourself, her dying words were for you to take her position as ruler. I don’t think she’d bestow upon you that pedestal if she didn’t feel you were capable. I certainly think you are.”

Whether or not she wanted to admit it, Twilight realized that she had been afraid of that position. For the past decade, she had done well to avoid it. Researching was definitely a help to the country, but the real reason to why she did not disclose her findings to anypony outside of her study group was because she knew she’d be forced to a meeting like she was right now.

She’d have to have discussions.

She’d have to make decisions…

Chamber Lane spoke with such eloquence and dignity that made it strangely comforting. It would not be easy, but Twilight knew she couldn’t hide from the public eye for too long.

“What do I have to do?”

Prince Blueblood’s eyes widened and Twilight knew he was shocked that she had acquiesced. She was glad that he didn’t say anything on the matter.

“For starters,” Chamber Lane looked at Twilight directly in the eye. “Perhaps you should make your presence a little stronger in Equestria. You’ve spent so much time in Canterlot, but you haven’t seen much of what’s going on. I’m not suggesting you go far, but perhaps you might want to go to Ponyville.”

Twilight shook her head. “What’s the purpose in that?”

“To see for yourself how your citizens are living,” he replied.

“Your friends have come here to share their problems,” Prince Blueblood added – a lot more gently than he usually would. “But you haven’t seen it for yourself. Maybe just go there and see their experiences.”

Her chest swelled, and she swallowed hard. Every part of her innards was screaming against the idea. Her mind craved for all of her books and the need to plunge into the knowledge that lay woven in their words. To hide away from the world without abandoning it was what Twilight knew best. The more she’d research, the more she could help with Equestria’s problems.

Another voice – one that she was vaguely aware existed – gave her a gentle tap.

It is time, it told her. You are a princess, and it is a princess’s duty to be involved with the wellbeing of her ponies.

With a heavy sigh and a lot of self persuasion, Twilight looked at her husband. “I will do it.”

“My student,” Princess Celestia gasped. Twilight knelt beside her, not caring that she was staining her coat in the princess’s pool of blood.

“I’m here,” She whispered.

The white alicorn groaned miserably. “Where’s Luna?”

Tears welled up in Twilight’s eyes. “She’s… she’s…”

“…Dead?”

Twilight broke out into an uncontrollable sob. “I’m so sorry, Princess,” she quavered.

Princess Celestia stared at the crying young alicorn; tears of her own trickled down her face. “I feared that it might’ve been so.” She closed her eyes. “Luna, I love you, and I will be seeing you soon.”

That was too much; Twilight fell onto the ground and wailed. “Don’t go! Please… don’t – leave – me!”

“There are things, my dear student, that even magic cannot fix,” Celestia opened her eyes. “I’ m so sorry, Twilight.”

“B-but what will happen to Equestria?” She could not see well through her teary vision. “Who will lead us?”

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Princess Celestia smiled. It was a small and subtle, but it was a smile nonetheless. “You.”

“Me?”

The princess nodded, and light was fading from her eyes. Her voice was meek, and each word she uttered was laborious and painful. “I know you can do it. Take care of Equestria.”

And her chest raised and lowered for the last time.