Queen Mia Solaria Celestia, the lone ruler, and matriarch of the magical land of Equestria shivered as she stood out on her private balcony on the fifth floor of her home, The Canterlot Palace. The white alicorn mare smiled as she watched as a group of construction ponies worked on the old drawbridge that lead into the palace in the forever-graceful capital of Equestria, Canterlot. She smiled weakly as she forced her heavy and tired legs to return her to the safety of her warm and safe room.
Pushing the golden and silver french doors closed with her shoed hooves, she stood stiffly with the setting sun casting a long and unkind shadow, she smiled as she thought of her sister and her sister's foal rising their beautiful moon together and letting the night take over from the day. Suddenly, there was a small and respectful knock at the queen’s silver and gold door. “Who is it?” She managed to call out as she straightened herself, she shook her head and flexed her wings, making sure she looked 'lively' and well. She pasted on her best smile and watched as the door was opened.
“It’s me, Celestia! Crown Princess Twilight!” Celestia's face instantly lightened up as she heard her faithful student’s voice, it had always been so relaxing to the white mare to hear Twilight's voice.
“Come in, come in.” Celestia sang out to her student. As the door open, Celestia was greeted by the lilac alicorn and princess of both friendship and magic, the Duchess of Manehattan and Countess of Fillydelphia, the wife of Crown Prince Zephyr, who holds the titles of Duke of Manehatten and Count of Fillydelphia when he married Twilight. He was also the father of Princess Skylar Soleil. Finally, she bowed low as the queen smiled.
“Twilight, there is no need to bow.” Celestia giggled at her student, who stood up and smiled at the white alicorn. "We are almost equal now in both ranks and power." she smiled.
Twilight blushed and instantly stopped bowing. “Right, sorry. I'll get used to doing that one day...Force of habit.” The lilac alicorn grinned as she took a few more steps into the queen's room, closing the door behind her with her purple, almost whimsical and unnatural magic.
Celestia cleared her throat and spoke. “What did you come here for, Twilight?” Celestia asked as she motioned for Twilight to sit at her table. "Has their been trouble or something like that?" she asked the lilac alicorn princess.
The lilac alicorn took the seat the snow-white empress had offered her. “No. It's not that. Well, it’s about what you said earlier.” The alicorn bat around the bush with a shy yet obvious smile. "At the lunch," she added quickly as she looked at the rising full moon.
The queen giggled softly. “Twilight," Celestia smiled sweetly. "we were having a meeting, a long meeting mind you, I wouldn't call it a lunch, personally, it was more like a dinner," The white mare paused as she saw herself getting off track, she was doing this more and more these days. "Twilight, what in particular did I say that has captured your attention so much, my student?” The queen asked as she poured a cup of tea for herself and her student.
The lilac alicorn took a quick drink and then faced the white sun goddess once again. “I think you were talking about who would rule after you or before you, it was a little hard to keep track of all the different conversational lines during the lunch,” Twilight smiled as Celestia levitated over a small porcelain cup of tea to her. "but, I'm certain you were talking about who would rule after you, when you are," Twilight slightly paused. "when your... gone." The lilac alicorn hushed the last word of her sentence.
As soon as Twilight's voice finished, Celestia looked up to her beloved former student and 'daughter'.“Did I upset you or your daughter, Princess Skylar or Ivory? I hoped I didn't upset little Sky, did I ?” Celestia worried, she had been letting more things slip these past few months, she hoped and prayed she had not upset the young princess.
“No,” Twilight smiled and chuckled sweetly. “Skylar and Wanda are fine, as always. I ensure you, Celestia, there both strong young mares," Twilight said as Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight took another sip from her drink before continuing to speak. "I overheard you and Princess Luna and Empress Cadence talking about the "Alicorn empire"," Twilight smiled at her mentor. "and, well, I want to learn a bit about it, it sounds so interesting, a whole civilization governed by alicorns, and all the ponies there are alicorns." Celestia bit her lip as Twilight went on, her words becoming unhearable to the queen. "How would the ruling system even run smoothly?" Twilight trailed off as she began to think and theorize.
"Twilight," The sun goddess paused softly and gently. "Luna and I, and Cadence, I should add," the white alicorn added. "have a sort of... let's say a stable "truce" when we talk about our home and it in general terms with Cadence, she is also interested in it, like you, Twilight," She took a long pause and swirled her golden spoon in the cup of tea. "We haven't really talked about the empire with anypony else," Celestia stated. "apart from with Cadence and your husband, Crown prince Zephyr," Celestia mentioned.
"Oh," Twilight gasped. "I didn't know that... if you don't want to talk about it-" Celestia silenced the alicorn with a small smile.
"No, I have been too quiet about it, even with Luna, cadence, and Zephyr. I have been vague about our homeland and other question about it," Celestia admitted. "Ask away, Twilight... ask away," Celestia declared. Twilight's face lit up with the prospect of new knowledge.
"Okay, is it true that there was once different "types" of alicorns? I read it in a book once, but I didn't know if it was fact or fiction." Twilight asked. Celestia nodded as she thought fo what to say. "It was in one of Skylar's bedtime books from when she was young, so I didn't take it seriously," she said.
"Once, a very, very long time ago - before even Luna and I walked the world. There was The 'Common alicorn', 'superb alicorn', and lastly the 'Regal alicorn'. Both Cadence and you are Superb alicorns, as I am sure you already knew." Celestia and Twilight giggled. "The common alicorn was seen as the "weakest" by having a limited magical ability, really, they were just a Pegasus with a horn, if you could even classify or call them that!" Celestia chuckled. "The rarest alicorn was the Regal alicorn. These alicorn's had control over something Celestial, like the moon or the sun, or the stars" Celestia explained as she gracefully took a sip from her cup. "They came from close-knit families who would 'bargin' with other such families to marry off their young." she further explained.
"Then, are you and Princess Luna "regal alicorns"?" Twilight asked. The queen nodded as she placed her cup down.
"Yes, as were our parents, and their parents, and their parents, and so on, you get the picture," Celestia replied. "Next question?" The lilac alicorn pondered.
"Odd question, but, Princess Luna would be next in line, right?" Twilight asked. "I mean, she's your sister so I presumed-"
Celestia somberly shook her head.
"No. when she became Nightmare Moon, she "sold" any chance of her one-day ruling alone, if the power of Nightmare could take control of her then, it could still take control of her now, I can't take that risk," Celestia answered.
"Who would be next then?" Twilight asked as she poured herself some more tea.
"Twilight, you would be," Celestia stated calmly.
Twilight suddenly shot straight up, her wings unfolding. "What?!" the lilac alicorn screamed. "But, I can't be the next queen of Equestria, that's just ridiculous. Ridiculous I say!" Twilight argued as she hovered back into her seat.
"Twilight," The goddess placed a golden shoe on her student's shoulder, calming the panicking lilac princess instantly. "You help save Equestria more times then I and Luna and Cadence can count. You solved the griffon territory dispute, despite being ship wreaked with a broken wing and without help," The lilac alicorn nodded, as Celestia continued. "then you created the dark magic rehabilitation centers, the school of friendship, the new trading routes... I know thrusting this onto you is sudden, but I have thought this out clearly." Twilight calmed herself with a long steady breath.
"How?" Twilight whispered, afraid that she may yell loud enough to shatter glass. "You can't just, just plan out everything in your life, somethings bound to change or 'form' differently." Twilight shrieked her iris tiny like snowflakes.
"The day Luna, my dear sister, was banished" Celestia spoke somberly, yet with a hint of fakeness in her voice. "I started looking for more than just a student," she smiled as she looked up at her student. "Twilight, I was looking for a unicorn that had the right "blood". A successor."
Twilight cocked her head at the queen. "Blood?" She repeated the very words used by the sun queen.
Celestia smiled. "Twilight, no Equestria unicorn has the power to become an alicorn. I know, it seemed like I "made" you an alicorn, but in fact, it was your own magic. I was only there to help." Celestia explained.
"Does... that mean I have alicorn blood?" Twilight half gasped. The white alicorn smiled. "Oh my stars..." The alicorn said quietly.
"Yes, your mother's one-hundred time's mother was a Regale alicorn, she was my youngest daughter... my little Princess Dawn Velvet." The goddess smiled again as her student took a long, deep breath.
Twilight's mouth hung open. "How... how did you know?" Twilight regained her calmness, albeit only a little. "What happened to Princess Dawn?" she asked.
"She..." Celestia paused and swallowed the clump burning in her throat. "She was taken from me... by the time I found her, It was too late...I was too late" Celestia said.
"I'm sorry, Celestia." Was all Twilight could say.
Celestia cleared her throat and continued speaking."Only an alicorn would have a magical reaction to a sonic rainboom. In the past, this was how they ascended, but this way has been lost to history, even somepony as wise as I have no idea how it was done!" Celestia exclaimed as she stood from her table. Twilight quickly followed as Celestia's weakly pushed on the doors that lead on to her balcony. finally, she pushed it open, only to fall flat onto the ground.
"Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed as she rushed forward.
"I...I'm alright, Twilight." Celestia smiled as the lilac alicorn helped her back to her hooves. "I Just wasn't expected the door to open so suddenly." She lied.
"Why are we out here?" Twilight questioned as she helped Celestia hop over to the edge of the balcony. Twilight felt the queen warm suddenly, at first it was a nice heat but quickly it rose higher and higher. Celestia collapsed on the railing, gasping heavily. "Are you sure your alright?" Twilight asked concerned by the queen's sudden collapse and the sudden blast of warmth coming from her.
"Yes." Celestia managed to say as she regained her proud stance and opened her graying wings.
"Your wings!" Twilight gasped as she tried to further inspected the queen's wings, which she quickly tucked away from the lilac princess' view.
"It is only a sign of aging, my Twilight. Nothing more. Come over to the edge of the balcony, there something I need you to see so you will understand." Celestia smiled. Twilight showed a half smile. She trusted Celestia greatly, but, Twilight knew for a fact that the queen could, and most certainly would, tell 'white lies' to stop ponies getting hurt. Joining the queen's side, Twilight looked out as far as she could see. Twilight jumped at a sound that did not belong in the serenity of the view, A loud bang caused both of the alicorns to look down to where the bridge had grumbled and broken.
"You know, Twilight." Celestia swallowed a long breath. "That bridge right down there, ... it's just like me, Twilight." Celestia sniffed. Twilight raised her eyebrow at her mentor.
"Why?" Twilight asked as concern raced through her normally sturdy voice.
Celestia let out a small chuckle as her ethereal mane covered her face. a single, golden tear ran down her white cheeks.
"It's old and falling down."
