True Love Never Dies

Today is the day. It has to be. Twilight thought to herself. She had decided weeks ago that she would tell her former mentor, and fellow princess how she felt on her birthday. Of course, with her being a princess, celebrations would be no private affair. 'Princess Twilight Sparkle's Birthday Bash,' as Pinkie officially called it, was a nations-wide event. Ponies and other creatures all across the world had sent gifts for Equestria's newest princess, most of which, by the end of the grueling process of opening them, had been duplicates of each other, save one-of-a-kind gifts from foreign allies. She, of course, had donated what she hadn't kept or re-gifted to her closest friends to charity.

She snuck a glance at her object of affection but quickly turned back to the Wonderbolts Aerial Display in front of her to avoid being caught. Had they seen her, nopony would have noticed, but Twilight was having a hard time controlling herself. She wanted to jump Celestia right then and there, but at the same time, she wanted to run away and hide. She was scared. She didn't want to pass up this chance, but at the same time she didn't want to risk being rejected.

Celestia occupied her every thought and haunted her every dream.  But even though Twilight was an alicorn princess herself and equal in stature, even though she had the perfect opportunity, she still couldn't say it. There she was, the one mare Twilight had ever looked up to, the one mare Twilight had ever loved, sitting right next to her in their private royal box, and she still couldn't say anything. How could she confess her love to a pony who had mentored her from foalhood on?

A flash of movement right in front of the booth snatched her attention back to the show. A quartet of pegasi rocketed past, continuing their dive right over the heads of the audience below.

The distinctive rainbow-colored tail of the newest member didn't go unnoticed. Twilight let a slow, warm grin spread across her face. If Rainbow Dash could fulfill her dream and make it into the Wonderbolts, then maybe Twilight could finally fulfill hers.

She chanced another glance at the regal mare beside her.

Celestia's eyes were on the show, never straying. Celestia had never even hinted at knowing her secret, but Twilight couldn't get over a niggling fear that she somehow knew. After all, she had never been able to hide anything from those piercing violet eyes for long.

Yes. Today is the day. I'm going to tell her.

Twilight's chest heaved. What was she getting herself into? She glanced to the side again, too quick to take note of anything major, and thankfully, too quick to be noticed.

Celestia didn't seem to have moved at all.

Twilight's legs trembled. Sweat began building up under her coat. It was suddenly very hot in their little booth. But her resolve barely wavered, if at all. She was strong. She could do it. She would do it. She would finally ask... and she would to it now.

The immediacy of it all brought a wave of nervous nausea, but Twilight fought it down. There was nothing she wanted more than she wanted this.

A flash of red pyrotechnic brilliance shot out from the arena, reflecting for a moment against the two mares. It must have been the grand finale. All of the Wonderbolts – including the fan-favorite with the rainbow mane – swooped down and hovered in front of the crowd, taking their bows.

It was impossible. How had two hours already passed?

Twilight glanced to her side. Royal guards were sure to approach in order to escort the Princesses back home soon, Celestia to her personal chambers and Twilight to Ponyville. As soon as they entered the booth, her private time with Celestia would be over, for Faust knew how long.

It was now or never.

“Princess...?”

Her magnanimous smile couldn't hide the hint of disappointment in Celestia's eyes. “Twilight, please. We are equals now. Please don't call me that.”

Glancing away, Twilight winced. She always slipped into old habits when she was nervous.

The guards would come in any moment. There was no time to waste.

“Celestia?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

“I...” Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she be freezing up now? “I...” Twilight gritted her teeth. The words couldn't be formed.

Celestia's smile faded. Her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. “Twilight? Are you oka-”

“I love you, Celestia!”

Twilight's eyes shot open wide but she couldn't see anything. She froze. What had she just done? Those words had been dying to escape so long, but now that they–

Soft white lips pressed against hers. A strong white hoof curled around behind her neck and drew her in close. Twilight's world tumbled out from underneath her. Her eyes went dark, or had they just closed? Her dreams of this moment, her endless fantasies, they were nothing- nothing compared to this.

She reciprocated, wrapping her hooves around Celestia's back and pulling their bodies even closer.

It could have been a second, it could have been a thousand years. Twilight couldn't tell the difference, nor did she care, but finally, the two mares separated.

Twilight glanced around. Who might have seen them? The two royal guards stood rigidly silent at either side of the booth's entrance. Everypony else still milled their way out of the Canterlot stadium. She turned back to Celestia, her eyes wide. “Pri– Celestia... what–”

“You can't imagine how long I've been waiting to hear you say that, Twilight.” She grinned and pulled Twilight in close again, pressing them together, and spoke in a gentle whisper, just behind Twilight's head, “I love you, too.”

The warmth from Celestia's chest flooded Twilight, and finally-finally, that drive, that need to be with her was satisfied. Twilight's legs trembled. Even the ground beneath her seemed to be shaking...

Screams erupted from the crowd below. Twilight ripped her eyes from Celestia and surveyed the crowd. Ponies ran back and forth over the arena, and the panic quickly spread. The shouts and screams doubled every second. The earth still shook.

Twilight looked back to Celestia and saw her own fear mirrored, only to be replaced by a resolute stare.

Right. We are alicorns. Whatever it is, we can handle it. Twilight nodded to Celestia.

The two alicorns rushed out of the private royal booth, and into the swarming crowd.

The royal guards on duty did their best, but even they couldn't prevent the occasional panicked pony from bumping into the two princesses.

Twilight looked all around for the source of the panic, but nothing was out of place. She glanced back to her former mentor.

Celestia stared upward with a wince in her eyes and a rapidly deepening frown.

Twilight followed her gaze up to the crest of Canterlot Mountain.

Deep black smoke rose from the rocky peak, billowing out even more as another tremor ran through the ground beneath Twilight's feet.

“Princess!”

“I see it, Twilight.” Celestia's wings flared out.

Twilight tensed up for a jump into the air. “You think we can stop it?”

Celestia turned to Twilight with a pained look. “No.”