The First Day of the First Year of the New Era
The Moon was just above the horizon, waiting to be set. The stars had begun to fade. The Sun was just peaking over the opposite horizon, waiting to be risen. The four princesses stood, just behind the doorway that lead to the great balcony atop the largest tower in Canterlot Castle. The streets of Canterlot below them were full. The streets looked like one great living thing; nobles and commoners, citizens and guests, ponies and creatures of every kind. All had come to view the transition; the ascension of the two older princesses to their next phase of being, and the succession of the two young princesses to be the sole co-rulers of Equestria. Spotlights from the castle walls and towers shone into the night sky like crystal pillars. The princesses spoke together as they waited for the appointed time.
“After a hundred years of experience ruling your personal demesne, ten years of intensive training, a year of public preparation, a week of the largest celebrations in Equestrian history, and a day of succession ceremonies, the time has come for you two to finally decide.” Luna stared at one young princess and then at the other.
“You both have completed all the training for both roles superbly. You have the power, the skill, and the wisdom for either role.” Celestia was calm, collected.
“We know that you have carefully considered these options. We expected you to make your choices long ago, so each of you could focus on your individual roles.” Luna was not collected. She was tired of waiting. “But now the time has come. You two must decide.”
“Princess Cadenza, Princess Twilight, which of you will control the Sun and which of you will control the Moon when we move on?” Celestia got to the heart of the matter.
“You're right, Auntie,” Princess Cadenza said. “We have thought long and hard about this.”
“And we've come to a decision,” Princess Twilight said.
The two younger princesses looked at each other and smiled broadly. “We're going to share!” they both exclaimed.
Celestia and Luna were taken aback. “Share?”
“After I merged with the Crystal Heart, and Twilight merged with the Tree of Harmony, we each have the power and skill to control both the Sun and the Moon.” Cadenza stood very straight. “While we greatly appreciate your gifts, and know they will be immensely helpful, we do not wish to be defined by them.”
“I’ve checked the transfer ritual a hundred ways.” Twilight dropped seamlessly into ‘lecture mode’. “There's nothing in it that requires either of you to transfer all of your power to just one princess.”
“I will continue to be the Princess of Love.” Cadenza smiled at Twilight.
“And I will be the Princess of Harmony.” Twilight smiled back.
“And together we will both be shepherds of the Sun and the Moon,” they said together. “We request that you each share your gifts equally with both of us.”
“I suppose... that could work,” Princess Celestia said haltingly.
“Tis most irregular... and not an option we had considered,” Princess Luna said.
The two elder princesses looked at each other questioningly, then smiled knowingly. “We will do as you request,” they said together.
The designated time had arrived. All the spotlights turned and shown on the great balcony. The four princesses stepped forward, through the doorway and into the light. A great cheer, like a wave of power, rose from the masses below. The princesses beat their great wings and rose into the air above Canterlot Castle. The spotlights followed their ascent. The four princesses reached the location in the sky designated for the ritual. They hovered in the air, bodies upright, heads and horns held high. In royal voices that could magically be heard equally well throughout all of Equestria, they spoke.
“I Celestia, Princess of the Sun, diarch of Equestria, do deed my powers and royal authority to the new rulers of this land, Princess Cadenza and Princess Twilight.”
“I Luna, Princess of the Moon, diarch of Equestria, do deed my powers and royal authority to the new rulers of this land, Princess Cadenza, and Princess Twilight.”
“I Cadenza, Princess of Love, accept the power and royal authority, and will do my duty to protect and serve as diarch of Equestria.”
“I Twilight, Princess of Harmony, accept the power and royal authority, and will do my duty to protect and serve as diarch of Equestria.”
The four princesses gathered together and made a square, each princess placing her forelimbs on the shoulders of the royals to the right and left. The elder sisters smiled warmly at the younger princesses, then nodded. Celestia and Luna bowed their heads forward and touched the tips of their mighty horns. Gold and blue magic swirled into a great ball above the tips where their horns touched. They were ready. Princess Cadenza and Princess Twilight leaned their heads forward and touched the tips of their horns to the other princesses’, creating a pyramid. The swirling gold and blue magic pulsed, hovering above the horns of the younger princesses.
In her mind, Princess Cadenza heard a voice like Celestia's, “All the power of the Sun can still be yours, all you need do is accept it. Fear not for your sister, you know Twilight will be pleased with the power of the Moon. Wouldn't you rather have all of the power and all of the secrets of the Sun rather than just a portion? You must act now.”
In her mind, Princess Twilight heard a voice like Luna’s, “All the secrets of the magic of the night can be yours, all you need do is accept it. Fear not for your sister, you know Cadenza will be pleased with the power of the Sun. Wouldn't you rather have all of the magic and power of the night rather than just a portion? You must act now.”
Cadenza and Twilight could feel the mysteries and secrets of the Sun and the Moon, held just beyond their grasp. They knew by instinct, without the full power of the heavenly bodies, those secrets would be lost.
“Thank you for the offer, but my sister and I will share the Sun and the Moon. We will be the best shepherds we can, regardless of what magical mysteries are lost to us.” both young princesses said together.
“So it begins,” they heard in their minds. Swirling gold and blue magic raced from the ball above them, down their horns, and into their very being. First came power. Power tied to the Sun, and power tied to the Moon, flowing down from the magic sphere.
“This is your last chance, with the full power of the Sun, you may cast you sight anywhere that Sunlight falls. Without it...!”
“This is your last chance, with the full power of the Moon, you may cast your magic anywhere shadows fall. Without it...”
“We will share and be equals shepherding the Sun and the Moon,” the young princesses cried out together.
“So be it,” came the reply. “Your trust in each other shall be rewarded!” The power flowing into them doubled And the full power of the Sun and the Moon, along with all the mysteries and magic of both celestial orbs, flowed into both princesses. For the magic generated by their friendship, love, and trust in each other was enough to multiply the gifts of the elder princesses. The torrent of power and knowledge was overwhelming. Both princesses struggled to maintain their identity as millennia of wisdom and secrets poured into them. Though they thought of themselves as fully formed, the younger princesses were as foals compared to their elders.
“I am the Princess of Love!” Cadenza cried.
“I am the Princess of Harmony!” Twilight replied.
In response, the powers of their respective aspects blossomed fully, until the power, and magic, and secrets of Love and Harmony matched those of the Sun and the Moon. The Princess of Love was filled with a complete understanding of all types of Love, and the powers therein. The Princess of Harmony was filled with all aspects of the magic of friendship and Harmony. Their identities solidified and they drew strength from their knowledge of themselves and of each other. The elder princesses pulled back and the younger princesses embraced and crossed horns. “Let us be true sisters and share in all things!” they cried. Love and Harmony were as two sides of the same coin. Their friendship, love, and trust in each other doubled their own gifts, the ultimate act of sharing duplicating their powers in each other, filling them as if to bursting.
“We are complete!” the younger princesses said together. They nuzzled each other one time, then pulled apart. The two younger princesses were still hovering over Canterlot. They shone like stars, with a radiance that overwhelmed the puny searchlights from below. Lightning danced around them from horn to hoof, for each held the power and magic of four fully realized alicorns. Their gifts were so many and varied that it would take time for the princesses to learn to wield them effectively. Though they contained the same powers, they were not clones. Cadenza would forever wield the powers of Love with greater facility, just like Twilight would forever have a greater skill with the powers of Harmony and magic.
The elder princesses hovered near by. They were etherial in the night sky. The light from the searchlights seemed to find no purchase on them, but the light from the young princesses illuminated them for all to see.
“You have passed your final tests brilliantly,” Celestia said.
“We could not be prouder of you both,” Luna said.
“Thank you for everything you have given us, for everything you have given Equestria!” Cadenza and Twilight cried. They both hugged Celestia, and then Luna. The former diarchs felt as light as soap bubbles to the young princesses. Celestia and Luna smiled at eachother and nodded. It was time to move on.
“May you rule with wisdom and compassion,” Celestia said.
“May you bring happiness and fulfillment to your subjects and yourselves,” Luna said.
“May all your future steps bring you great joy and revelations!” Cadenza and Twilight called.
Celestia and Luna ascended into the heavens. They were translucent, and the spotlights shone through them, but all on the ground could see them with perfect clarity. As they rose, they grew in size but faded in intensity, until the outlines of Celestia and Luna were visible all over Equestria and filled the sky from horizon to horizon. When they touched both horizons, the elder princesses’ remaining color rushed together into a single bright star, high over Canterlot. The star coalesced into a rotating disk. One side featured a great blue heart with white wings. The other displayed a six pointed magenta star with five smaller stars around it; the symbols of the Princess of Love and the Princess of Harmony. The symbols hung high over the capitol, visible from all parts of Equestria.
The new diarchs looked at eachother and smiled. They pulled together into a hug and held it, hovering in the spotlights for a long time. They could feel the sadness they shared at their elders moving on. They could also feel the weight of duties that had been left them as co-rules of a great nation. Finally they could feel the immense powers they now wielded, far greater than anything they or the elders had wielded before. The power spoke of both possibilities, and responsibilities, in equal measure.
“It’s time for a new day,” Princess Cadenza said. Together, their horns glowed, and they each extended a forelimb and lowered it majestically. The Moon dipped behind the horizon and the stars slowly faded away. They turned as one, and raised their forelimbs together. The Sun emerged from behind the horizon and was set onto its course for the day. It spread a grand pink and purple sunrise across the land.
“Equestria awaits,” Princess Twilight said. They were both illuminated by the great rotating star above, the sunrise on the horizon, the spotlights below, and their own internal radiance. Together the co-rules spread their wings wide and dove toward the city below, welcomed by a storm of cheers and good wishes from all across the city and the countryside.
Dance With The Dragon King
The Thirty Fifth Day of the Third Year of the New Era
The Dragon King flew out of the Crystal Mountains toward the border of Equestria, backlit by the setting sun. His wings spanned from one adjacent peak to next. The length of his tail, body, and neck matched the great span of his wings. His head was as big as Canterlot Castle and his maw could swallow up a city block in a single bite.. The Dragon King was not made of flesh or scales, but of massive outcroppings of living stone. He had slept under a mountain for millennia, then reduced it to a mole-hill upon his waking and taking flight. With each wingbeat, The Dragon King blew the snow and trees off of whatever mountain was below him, leaving them bald and stony.
Just behind the Equestrian border flew a single alicorn. A powerful equine, with majestic wings, and a long pointed horn atop her head. This alicorn was larger than any of her contemporaries, though she was still dwarfed by the Dragon King. Her colors shimmered with the yellow, pink, and purple of the sunset.
“Pony!” the Dragon King roared. His voice filled the sky and the valleys like the roar of a blast furnace. “Your kind’s time is at an end. I had been bested in the past by Celestia, and she is gone.” The Dragon King raised his massive head. Stones along his belly blazed white hot. Then he opened his great maw and an ocean of fire spewed forth. It filled the skies for miles in every direction, advancing as a wall of flame. Where it hit the ground, the fire scoured the mountains clean, and left nothing but blackened and glowing boulders in its wake.
The alicorn flapped her wings slowly, remaining in a hover. She did not bother to raise a shield and let the wall of dragon fire wash over her. The power of the sun blazed within her; a wall of fire had no more effect than a wall of fog. From her place on high, she called out in a voice that filled the skies as fully as the Dragon King’s roars.
“I am Cadenza of Equestria. Princess of Love and Sheppard of the Sun and the Moon. Co-ruler and co-defender of Equestria and all her territories. Do not cross the border or I will be forced to expel you!” She hoped she sounded confident. Princess Cadenza, and her co-ruler Princess Twilight, knew that they would be tested by old enemies, after Celestia and Luna had moved on. They had hoped the test would not be so soon. Twilight and her dragon friend Spike, were diverting the Dragon migration away from the Dragon King. Cadenza had to keep the king from finding and merging with the migration, assuming control, and forming an unstoppable Dragon army.
“Puny pony!” The Dragon King roared. “I was only beaten by Celestia in the distant past because I was weakened from forcing my dragons to conquer too many of our enemies at once. And Celestia was at the height of her power, as she had been wielding the sun for a thousand years. But after millennia of slumber, I am more powerful than ever, while I sense your connection with the sun is but a few years old.” The Dragon King beat his monstrous wings, crossed the Equestrian border, and climbed higher into the sky. He raised his head again, his entire belly blazed, and he opened his maw. The Dragon King blew a miles long stream of concentrated fire toward the alicorn.
Cadenza drew in her power, like drawing in a great breath. It filled her from hoof to pinion, and her radiance doubled, then doubled again. She stooped, then dived directly towards the Dragon King’s maw and the coming maelstrom. She did not fear dragon fire. The bow wave of the dragon's attack enveloped Cadenza. Like the wall, it had no appreciable effect. She grinned a feral smile, and charged her horn to unleash her own attack. But hidden within the fire blast was a mountain's worth of magma and superheated boulders, moving at rainboom speeds. The first impacts slammed into the undefended alicorn, stunning her. Caught in the miles long blast, the alicorn was blown back, buffeted again and again by impacts that could reduce a castle to rubble. Cadenza finally fell out of the column of fire and magma. Stunned, she plummeted, weighed down by molten rock sticking to her body and wings. She regained enough sense to painfully spread her wings and turn her fall into a clumsy glide. Cadenza shook her head and cleared her mind. She recognized her rocky burdens, then blazed with power from within to vaporize the magma and cleanse her body.
“I will not be surprised again, dragon. I give you one last chance to retreat before I attack. Know that where Celestia was a powerful alicorn, I wield the power of many,” Cadenza called, “for I am the Princess of Love, sheppard of the Sun and the Moon, and sister in power to the Princess of Harmony!”
“Too bad for you, love pony, this is war! A war of extinction!" the Dragon King called back. "I will have my revenge for the indignities that Celestia laid upon my dragons and I. After annihilating you, and taking control of my army, we will raze the pony cities, scatter the survivors, and reduce your population to grazing herds that we will nibble on for sport.” The Dragon King continued his climb toward the alicorn, He raised his head for a third time. His entire belly and the underside of his wings glowed as if molten.
“You are a fool to dismiss love,” Cadenza called. “I have wielded all types of power, and the love of my ponies makes the power of the sun look like a candle flame!” The Princess of Love waited a heartbeat, then another. When the Dragon King opened his maw, she instantly focused all of her powers into a single attack. The yellow of sun-fire, the pink of mind magics, and blue of a force blast rippled along her wings and body, up her mane, and shot out of her horn in a swirling conflagration. It went straight down the maw of the Dragon King, before he could unleash his own fire. The Dragon King’s enormous slit pupils shrank to tiny points. His golden eyes turned pink under Cadenza’s mental assault. The stones of his body glowed, as sun-fire superheated them from within. And the Dragon King’s miles long stony tail exploded, as the blue force blast exited the back of his body.
The impact of the blast knocked the Dragon King back toward the Crystal Mountains and flipped his head up, until his great stone belly was facing the alicorn. Cadenza pivoted in the air, aiming her hooves at the Dragon’s underside. She focused her power into strength and flight, and smashed into the dragon’s vulnerable belly like a shooting star. The Dragon King’s neck, wings, and limbs folded up and flailed aimlessly around the alicorn. Flames and magma spewed, undirected, from his maw and the hole where his tail had been. Cadenza redoubled her power, forcing the Dragon back across the border out of Equestria, and toward the highest peak in the Crystal Mountains. Once she crossed the border, Cadenza called down the full power of the sun on herself and the Dragon King. His already superheated stony exterior began to boil away, while Cadenza was invigorated by the solar storm that roared down from the sky. With a final push, Cadenza power slammed the Dragon King into the peak. The entirety of the range of the Crystal Mountains were lit by a blinding white light. An explosive mass of fire replace the mountain. The force of the impact, combined with the power of sun-fire, had vaporized it. Shock waves of fire propagated out from the explosion, and raced across the surrounding mountains. All the snow the shock waves rolled over melted, all the trees it passed were blown down, and all the vegetation it touched were set ablaze. A miles high column of fire rose from the impact, until gravity overcame it. No longer able to rise, the fire rolled into a great half domed cloud atop the column.
From the ground, Cadenza drew upon her power again and pushed the flames, dust, and ash into the sky with a mighty burst of magic. It flew up and out of the atmosphere, disappearing into space. The momentary vacuum on the ground doused the burning vegetation. Fresh air from outside the conflagration rushed in to fill the emptiness. Gale force winds blew, and Cadenza surveyed her surroundings. She was standing on the remains of the Dragon King’s body. They were miles deep in a crater, where the tallest peak in the Crystal Mountains had been moments before. The Dragon King’s body was unmoving; one of his great stone wings had shattered, the other was attached, but was twisted and tattered. The Dragon King’s head was upside down, magma dripping from his open maw.
Despite his condition, Cadenza knew immortals were hard to put down permanently. Deep within the Dragon King, Cadenza could feel the glow of his divine essence. It was this power that would speed his recovery. Given time, the Dragon King would come after her ponies again. Cadenza considered her options, and decided she had no choice. The Dragon King had risen twice with the goal of exterminating ponies; once against Celestia and once against her. Cadenza could not risk a third time. She gathered her power, from the sun, and from the love of all Equestrians. Cadenza focused all that power into a spear of mind magic. She glowed with blinding radiance and the magic around her horn roared. She cast the magic down into the body of dragon, targeted his divine essence, wrapped her magic about it, and pulled.
The Dragon King resisted. Any other time the dragon’s essence would have been invulnerable and made this attack futile. But the Dragon King had been grievously injured, his power depleted, and his natural defenses were against physical and fire attacks, not mind magic. With a triumphant surge, Cadenza squeezed the Dragon King’s divine essence with her magic, and pulled it free from his body. The essence manifested as a sphere, tall as a stallion, with a perfectly reflective surface. Cadenza’s own radiance reflected off the sphere, and threw sunset light onto her surroundings.
“Dragon King, you have been judged and found wanting,” Cadenza said. “For the crime of attempted extermination of my ponies, you have forfeited your divine essence. You body may recover in time, but your power will never again be as is was before.” Cadenza knew the divine essence would dissipate into the ley lines in moments. She had to make a momentous decision; one she did not have time to share with her co-ruler. “Twilight, forgive me, I hope I do the right thing for all.” Cadenza reached out with her love to every citizen of Equestria. She could feel them, every stallion, mare, and foal, including those outside the country’s borders, and the non-ponies that had been welcomed into her land. She was their princess and they her subjects. They shared an unbreakable bond. She divided the sphere of divine essence into two smaller perfect spheres with her magic. Then those two divided into four, then eight, then sixteen. The spheres divided and divided, becoming smaller and smaller, until they were as a cloud of silver raindrops, and Cadenza knew she had enough for all.
“In compensation for the damage you have done to Equestria, I deed this divine power to your intended victims,” Cadenza continue. “The next time you rise, you will face ponies with a spark of divine dragon power, while you will have none!” The tiny spheres of divinity swirled about her in a toroid, glittering in her sunset radiance. Cadenza gathered them in close, designated one for each strand of love she felt, then sent them on their way. When the act was done, Cadenza blew out a long sigh. Even fueled by the power of the sun, and the power of her ponies’ love, she was exhausted from her labors.
She looked at the cooling remains of the Dragon King, and the miles high sheer rock walls of the crater he lay in. Those walls would not last long. Sometime soon they would crumble and bury the Dragon King. But just to make sure… Cadenza flapped her great wings and rose to the rim of the crater. She charged her horn, then shot a long force blast around the rock walls, just below the crater rim. The walls collapsed, covering the bottom of the crater, and the defeated Dragon King, under a mile of stone. Under the rocks he would sleep and heal. When the Dragon King emerged, he would be lesser than he had been today; and her ponies would have had more years of safety and progress.
With another mighty wingbeat, Cadenza shot into the air and headed back toward home. She knew she had made history today. Confrontations of great powers often did. She didn’t know if empowering her ponies with the dragon’s essence would be for good or for ill. But Cadenza knew she would do anything to protect her little ponies.
Anything.
