Chapters Author's Note
This is a reuploaded version of this story, so things read before I took it down might be different from the first time I uploaded it.
Either way, it is far from finished. So please tag it and I'll try and put out more chapters as quick;y as I can.
HB~
An Artist's Gift
Starlight Glimmer was dreaming. An ethereal plane stretched out infinitely before her. Points of light glinted and glistened in all directions like an endless night sky. For a long time she just walked. Her hooves coming down on a soft invisible surface as she made her way through the floating points of light that hung weightlessly around her. This was one of her favorite dreams, a seemingly endless space that stretched out eternally. The emptiness calmed her in a way nothing else could, the breaths she sucked in where always cool and refreshing.
But there was only so much fun one could have in silence. So as she normally did on her visits to the star-lit void.
She filled it.
Her horn began to glow as she drew on the seemingly endless supply of magics that always surrounded her in the recurring dream. She drew it into a single point, condensing the magic until it was about the size of a teardrop, so she was holding a speck of light in her magic. From there she carefully lowered it and pressed it into the dark surface beneath her hooves.
At first nothing seemed to happen, but it was always slow at first. Growing a forest was never a quick process after all.
Soon the first sprouts poked out from the dark soil, bright and luminescent. From there Starlight conjured up several more of the seeds, planting them and laying down to watch as her forest blossomed before her. Soon, glowing shoots of something akin to a blue-colored grass coated the ground. Trees loomed high over her head bearing strange yellow fruit that shown like lanterns, while their leaves provided the once empty space with a roof of pinks and violets.
Starlight lost herself in creation shaping the still abundant magic energy into increasingly complex shapes and sizes. Now there were creatures in the forest, flitting between the foliage of the trees and dashing through the underbrush. Larger creatures roamed between the glowing trunks, grazing on the grasses which had grown tall and untamed.
Sometimes Starlight would play with the creatures, racing through the forest with them at her side. However today she just watched. Once again her oasis from the troubles of life helping to ease her mind.
"Hello Starlight Glimmer."
The unicorn in question let out a yelp and leaped an impressive distance above the ground, her own magic encasing her and carrying her body higher than a simple jump normally would.
Princess Luna stifled a laugh, "I apologize Starlight Glimmer. It was not my intention to startle you." she stepped forward. Starlight sighed and drifted to the ground as Luna took a seat beside the unicorn. She lifted a hoof and gestured to their surroundings, "I presume that this is all your doing?"
Starlight squirmed uncomfortably beside the Lunar Alicorn, still more than a little embarrassed to be startled within her own dream. "I just figured that since it's just a dream, I should at least make it interesting. It's a weird dream that I have every once in awhile."
Luna turned to give her a surprised look, "You have been to this place before?"
"Umm, Once or twice... Is that bad? Did I do something wrong?", the unicorn replied hesitantly.
Luna shook her head, a small smile gracing her features, "No Starlight. In fact, this discovery could not have come at a better time". She turned away from Starlight, the trees and shrubs seemed to shift, creating a path through the forest for the Lunar Princess. "If you don't mind. would you care to walk with me?" Starlight could only nod as Luna stood and began to calmly start on the new path through the forest.
A few minutes passed, the only sounds the two could hear were the peaceful chirps and barks of the creatures in Starlight's forest.
Suddenly Luna turned her gaze to Starlight, "Did Twilight ever inform you as to how she became an Alicorn?"
Starlight put a hoof to her chin in thought, "No, not from what I can remember. But that's probably because I never asked. I've only known her as a Princess. So I guess it just didn't occur to me."
Luna nodded in understanding, "Well, In that case I believe it falls upon myself to inform you." She paused in her walk, lifting her horn to the sky. The trees and shrubs drifted outwards in a circle, creating a small, sheltered clearing filled only with soft grasses that rose only a few inches from the ground. Luna chose a spot in the clearing and settled down, motioning for Starlight to do the same, "The day before Twilight became an Alicorn, me and my sister sent her a riddle, something that only an Alicorn should have been able to complete.This riddle was, in actuality, an incomplete spell by none other than Starswirl the bearded, something he could not finish due to a lack of friends to assist him.", Luna smiled at the memory fondly, "In the end, Twilight rewrote and completed the spell with the help of the elements of harmony. This proved to both me and my sister that she was worthy of becoming an Alicorn."
Starlight paused, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at the Princess, "Wait... So she... Fixed a single spell and you made her an alicorn? Just like that? I mean, putting aside all the times she and her friends have saved the world, is that really all it takes to become an alicorn?"
Luna chuckled, a small smile on her face, "I had a feeling that you would question our methods. After all, you switched me and my sister's cutiemarks to solve a friendship problem."
Starlight laughed nervously, "Yeah, sorry about that."
"Oh do not fear Starlight Glimmer, neither me nor my sister bear you any ill will.", Luna said. "We both admit to ignorance on each others part and have gotten along all the better because of it." She cleared her throat, "Now, It was not the spell that proved Twilight Sparkle was worthy of joining us. It simply proved to us that she had mastered all she could in her natural lifetime." She paused, "So we -or should I say my sister- brought her here..." Luna glanced out at the forest that surrounded them, the stars high above the canopy glistened as if they were returning the gesture. "She was summoned to the Ethereal Plane. A realm where magic is as abundant as the air you breathe." She turned to Starlight, "This is why it intrigues me that you seem to be able to come here so freely, and why I am glad to have found you at this moment."
Starlight glanced around at her forest, "Sorry I kinda made a mess."
Luna shook her head, her mane rippling in its nonexistent breeze, "Oh think nothing of it Starlight Glimmer. It is nice to have something truly beautiful within the Ethereal Realm for once, I regret that neither me or my sister have the time to make such improvements." Slowly her smile fell from her face, a slight sadness clouding the mirthful sparkle in her eyes. She brought a hoof to Starlight's face and pulled it to face her, "There is something that you must know, Starlight. Something known by nopony but my fellow Alicorns...", she hesitated, mouth open as she tried to get the words out. "This is more difficult to say than I had previously anticipated..." Luna pulled in a breath and slowly let it out, allowing the ambient magic to calm her nerves before continuing, "My sister and I, like all things, are not eternal. Like the phases of the moon, we wax and wane until a new moon comes to begin the cycle again." She sighed, "I apologize, Starlight. I am afraid I am not being very straightforward about this."
Starlight smiled and nodded, "It's ok Princess, take your time. I know how it feels to have something you need to get off your chest."
Luna sighed, "Me and my sister are dying, Starlight."
Starlight's eyes widened and she struggled to pull together a response, "W-what do you mean? Alicorns can't die ! They're eternal beings that represent some of the most important things in the world! You and Celestia change the time of day for crying out loud!"
Luna held up a hoof to silence her, "Please be calm, Starlight Glimmer. I realize that this may not be something you want to hear, however I cannot think of any other way to say this. My sister and I are not eternal. We age and die, as all things should." She took another deep breath, the solemn note of the conversation taking a visible toll on her, "Me and my sister realize how much Alicorns mean to Equestrian society. Without a Princess controlling the sun and the moon we feel that most ponies would be lost. This is why ponies like you and Twilight Sparkle are very important to us."
"Me? Why would I be important to you?"
"Is it not obvious?", Luna replied, once again casting her gaze at her surroundings, "You are able to walk in the realm of Alicorns in your dreams, and also have displayed an impressive talent in using your magic. That is why I have chosen you to be my successor, Starlight Glimmer. Just as Celestia has chosen hers to be Twilight Sparkle."
Starlight was speechless. Her jaw hung open until she shook her head to clear it of the shock. "Wha- No! I'm sorry Princess but I don't think I'm worthy to be a... a... Princess. Not like you or Celestia, or Twilight even." She looked away, studying her hooves, "I've hurt ponies, a whole village of them. No matter how many friends I make or how many times they say they forgive me..." She noticed that Luna was shaking. "Princess are you-?"
Luna suddenly lifted her muzzle skyward and burst into a laughter that spread through the trees and wildlife around them, the grass around Luna's hooves seemed to glow a bit brighter in response, "Starlight Glimmer you only succeed in proving that my choice was the right one." She wiped a joyful tear from her face, "Forgive me, I do not mean to jest at your past. However humility is one of the most important qualities of a good ruler. As a Princess of Equestria you must understand the outcomes of your actions and learn from your mistakes. No matter how many there might be."
Starlight gave her an uneasy smile, her shock slowly fading as she saw the joy begin to return to the Lunar Alicorn's eyes.
"I'll do my best not to let you down."
Books.
Hundreds of thousands of them, drifting slowly through a massive library. The library was bigger than most buildings, even those found in Manehatten. It descended deep into the ground, going on and on further into the stone and dirt of the very mountain that held Canterlot aloft. In the Library's center, hovering in an aura of magenta light, was an Alicorn. Her eyes glowed white with power and her straight, purple mane flowed as if swayed by a kind of celestial breeze. This was Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.
The Library itself was a project that took several centuries to complete, knowledgeable creatures from all over the world came together to assist in the construction of the library over multiple generations. It was constructed with only the storage of books in mind, no walkways, only rows upon rows of bookshelves that seemed to go on forever downwards into the cylindrical abyss. Occasionally there would be a section that branched off of the main section of the library, only to enter another, if not slightly smaller, round room that seemed to stretch infinitely downwards. Books of all subjects from every continent on Equus were copied, word for word, and delivered directly to Twilight, allowing her to immediately get to filing the new source of information. Upon its completion the purple Alicorn created a custom spell to allow her to read several books at once, giving her the ability to absorb several times as much knowledge as a normal Unicorn. This was one of the many spells that was always active in the great library. Preservation, organization, documentation, lighting. All spells created and run by the Library's keeper.
Twilight was exactly where she wanted, doing exactly what she wanted to do. She locked herself away. keeping as much distance from herself and the pains of the world outside. It had been ages since she heard Pinkie's laughter, seen the glorious glow of a sonic rainboom, or tasted the warm flavors of a once familiar fruit-based cider. Losing her closest friends had put her through enough pain for a century in a single decade. Permanently causing her to fear getting close to another living creature. She was better off learning the wonders of the world than carve another deadly wound in her still aching heart. She almost never got visitors. With only a few exceptions.
"Twilight?"
The Alicorn in question slowly turned and blinked, directing her glowing gaze towards the voice of the intruder. The voice was familiar, the voice of a pony she knew would always be there for her. The aura from her horn briefly intensified as all the books drifting through the air stopped and suddenly changed direction, finding the correct place to re-shelf themselves neatly in the walls. leaving the library quiet and still for the first time in what seemed like forever. Her eyes blinked a few times until the bright glow of power faded from her eyes. She gently lowered herself to the entryway and rose shakily on her neglected limbs. "Ce- Celestia?", she managed to say in a hoarse croak, her body aching from being physically immobile for the last few millennia.
Celestia nodded in reply, "Yes Twilight, it's me." She took a step forward and put a wing over the younger Alicorn's body, steadying her as she swayed on her hooves. Celestia, while still every bit as graceful as she was when she first met Twilight, . The colors of her mane, although they had faded, were still vibrant and beautiful. Her eyes still held that mischievous sparkle.
"Wha- *ahem* -What c-can I help you w-with?", Twilight said, her voice nearly gave out from the neglect it had received.
Celestia sighed, the light in her eyes dimmed a bit as a sad smile gracing her usually warm features. "Would you care to walk with me? It's been a long time since we last spoke, and I believe there are some important matters we must discuss.", she said as she turned towards the entrance, looking briefly back over her shoulder at Twilight while motioning for her to follow with a wing.
Twilight followed Celestia out of the library into the light of day. The entrance to the library was on the far side of the mountain to Canterlot, a long walkway had been constructed that ran around the mountain and into the Royal Gardens. The purple Alicorn squinted and shielded her eyes with a foreleg when the sunlight reached her face.
Celestia laughed, it was a small light hearted chuckle, much like the ones Twilight had grown so familiar to as a filly. "You should get out more Twilight, it's not good for you to be inside for that long."
Twilight snorted, "I've been in there for ages, I don't think my health has decreased all too much. Besides, I know exactly what's going on with the outside world. I have a newspaper delivered to the library to remedy that kind problem." She glanced up at the sky, her eyes finally adjusting to allow her to take in the bright blue sky and the lively green of the bushes as they finally made their way into the Canterlot gardens. "Okay, maybe I Could arrange to get out more... ", she thought.
The Solar Alicorn led her along the path to a clearing filled with several different variants of wildflowers arranged so that the colors created a rainbow that wrapped all the way around the clearing. A white gazebo sat peacefully in the center. Celestia led Twilight into the alabaster shelter to a small table and two matching stools, a steaming tea set had been placed delicately upon a silver tray on the table.
For a long time the two just sat there, sipping the tea and making small talk until the day was coming to an end. Celestia sighed, "Thank you for joining me Twilight. It means a lot to me to see you outside, even if I did have to retrieve you myself.", her expression darkened, the sad smile adorning her face once again. "Now, there is an important matter that we must discuss. A topic that I believe I have been avoiding for nearly an eon." She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and holding it before releasing it calmly. "Twilight, I know that of all ponies you understand that nothing lasts forever. Ponies grow old, kingdoms rise and fall. It is a truth that applies to everything, every forest and mountain.", she looked down at her tea, "Even us."
Twilight still hadn't caught on, sipping her tea while her ears swiveled at the sound of the birds that flitted among the garden. "Hm? I'm sorry, what was that?"
Celestia sighed and bit her lip, "I'm so sorry, Twilight. I know I should have told you long, long ago. But after the passing of your friends... I couldn't bear to bring you something like this." She looked back up at Twilight, "Nothing is eternal Twilight, and I'm afraid that my time here is almost up."
Twilight looked up at her teacher, one of her only lasting friends. Suddenly became apparent how tired Celestia looked. Age was apparent on her face and the once vibrant colors of her mane had begun to fade.
"You're... Dying...", Twilight's voice was quiet as she met Celestia's gaze. The Solar Princess only nodded solemnly in response. Twilight continued, "B-but that's not possible. There hasn't been any record of an Alicorn dying in... Well... Forever!" She furrowed her brow in concentration diving into the millennia of knowledge she had acquired over her time in the library, "I've read every book, scroll, and tablet in Equestria. None, not one of them, holds any information on an Alicorn dying, old age or otherwise."
Celestia took a sip of her tea, "That is because me and my sister are older that almost all written texts that are still around today. We have been around for so long and seen so much." She looked over at the sun, lighting her horn to start the sun on its descent beyond the horizon, "Me and my sister thought we would be the last of our kind. The end of our species." She turned to Twilight, "Then a small unicorn put a dragon's head through the roof of a classroom in my magic school." She smiled fondly at the memory, "Now here you are, living proof that Alicorns will continue to live on and guide those in need."
Twilight, while she did hear what Celestia had said, didn't give any sign of it. Her horn lit up in a spell, written notes of all kinds in her library were scanned for something, anything to confirm or deny her new discovery.
Celestia sighed, her eyes softening at her student as she poured through her resources, desperately seeking confirmation on what Celestia had told her.
Finally Twilight broke out of her magic-induced trance. Her lavender eyes filling with tears. She stared at her mentor for what seemed like an eternity. Her head slowly shaking as she silently begged Celestia to tell her otherwise, that it was a trick, some kind of cruel joke.
Celestia moved to Twilights side as she simply stared into the space the Solar Alicorn had been previously occupying, making soft calming noises as Twilight continued to cry while Celestia slowly lowered the sun.
The sunset was filled with the anguished cries of a grieving Alicorn.
The day was cold and grey in the Crystal Empire, causing the normally glittering cityscape to become dull and drab like unpolished stone. It was the day that a ceremony took place, one of great sadness and mourning.
Today was the day that Princess Cadence passed from the world.
The main road that to the castle was lined with grieving citizens, their crystalline heads bowed as their Princess made her final walk through her city. Beside her were the other two Princesses. Princess Starlight of the Moon and Princess Twilight of the Sun. Starlight walked with her head bowed, eyes glistening with yet unshed tears. Twilight walked with her head held high, any who didn't know her might have thought her rude, however the knowledge that she had closed the royal archives for the week travelled fast. The new Solar Princess never closed her archives. A third pony walked with them, Flurry Heart, Daughter of Princess Cadence and heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire. She was openly weeping, tears trailing down her face as she pressed her face to her aging mother's mane. Cadence herself walked as confidently as her body would allow a small sad smile on her face as she glanced at each and every one of her subjects, meeting their eyes with a look of silent graditude before continuing to the next.
As the Princesses passed by the citizens slowly left their places on the roadsides to follow. When the four Alicorns finally reached their destination they turned to find the loyal resitents of the city crowded behind them, their eyes watching every move that they made.
The eldest of the four sighed. She glanced down at her daughter, planting a small kiss at the base of her horn before pulling away and taking a few steps towards her people, "Ponies of the Crystal Empire." Despite her aged body her voice rang loud and clear throughout the city, making it to the ears of anypony who listened, "Today I will be stepping down from my standing as Princess, your Princess. I thank you all for your support throughout my long reign, I thank you and those who came before. You have, and always will be in my heart and thoughts, and I wish you all a bright future.", she took a breath, "I leave you in the hooves of my fellow Alicorn sisters...", she turned and looked over her shoulder, meeting her daughter's eyes and smiling gently, "...and the hooves of my beloved daughter." She turned back to the crowd of her people, many of which were crying openly, weeping for their benevolent ruler, "May the love that shines in your hearts be eternal."
Princess Cadence dipped her head in a low bow, taking a few minutes to meet as many of her citizen's eyes as she could before turning back to the four Alicorns.
She approached the two Celestia Princesses, wrapping them each in an affectionate hug before finally turning to the pony she loved more than anything in the world of Equus. Her daughter. Flurry Heart lunged forwards, wrapping her hooves aroung her mother as fresh tears ran down her face. Cadence only leaned into the hug and returned it, wrapping Flurry Heart in her wings and shushing her softly.
"Please", Flurry begged her, "Please don't go. Don't leave me."
Cadence pulled back and looked her daughter in the eyes, "My precious Flurry. I'm sorry, but this is my time to go.", she raised a hoof to brush aside a few tears from Flurry's face, "I love you, Flurry Heart, and I couldn't be more proud of the pony youve grown up to be." Cadence turned her head towards the crowd of crystal ponies that waited only a few meters away, "I believe in you Flurry Heart", she gently turned her daughters head to the crowd with a hoof, "And so do they."
She met Flurry's eyes again, "I know you'll make a great ruler." Flurry Heart nodded silently as her mother finally pulled away and stpped towards the Crystal Heart.
The large gemstone gently slowed to a stop, as if sensing the approaching Alicorn. Cadence smiled, whispering softly to herself, "I'll see you again soon Shiny..."
She ignited her horn, its bright aqua glow responding to the Heart, making it glow brighter and brighter as she spoke. "I offer myself to the Crystal Heart. I offer my soul, my mind, and my love, so that it may protect this Empire and its subjects for eons to come!" The heart seemed to glow brighter in response. A beam of light shot from the Heart and struck Cadence in the chest. Her body began to lift off the ground, becoming more crystalline and transparent with each passing moment.
Flurry Heart squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, not willing to watch her mother's final moments as she transferred her essence to the Crystal Heart like so many had done before. Her eyes opened when she felt the gentle touch of a wing around her withers. She looked up to find Princess Starlight. The two locked eyes, Starlight smiled down at the younger Alicorn before turning her gaze back to Cadence, "It's ok to be sad, your mother was a good friend and a wonderful pony.” She sighed, “But we all have our time on this world. It is simply something we must accept, no matter how much it hurts." Flurry stared at the Lunar Princess for a moment before leaning into her comforting embrace and turning to watch her mother as her body glowed and was slowly absorbed, bit by bit, by the almost blindingly bright Crystal heart.
Once Cadence had been fully absorbed the Heart began to spin. Rotating faster and faster until a beam of bright light erupted upward from its glowing surface. It rose higher and higher, surpassing even the tallest spire of the Crystal castle before slamming into the dome-like barrier that separated the Empire from the snowy wastland outside. From the beam's impact point came an eruption of color, a loud clap like thunder echoed over the Empire as the late Princess Cadence's magical energy strengthened the protective barrier almost a hundredfold. The halo of color expanded out and down, clearing the skies of the Crystal Empire and leaving the city once again gleaming in the sunlight, the roads lit up as well, as if Cadence was spreading a comforting wave of love throughout her city.
Slowly, one by one, the citizens of the crystal Empire knelt to the ground, the sea of ponies seemed to churn and roil as the hundreds of ponies bowed their heads to honor the Alicorn who had once been there ruler. Tears were shed, wails of anguish rose up from the ponies as they mourned, however none could drown out the sorrow of Flurry Heart who let out cries, not only for a Princess, but also for the mother she had lost.
The era had come to an end. leaving Equestria to an uncertain future as the mantle of responsibility was left to those chosen to surpass those who came before.