To Err is Divine

by Ri2

Rating: teen
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Drama, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Alternate Universe, Sad, Romance, Equestria Girls
Length: 5814

Since time immemorial, the goddesses Sunset and Twilight have shared a private feast every year. And then, quite suddenly, Twilight doesn't show. Sunset understandably wants to know why.

Since the dawn of time, the two God-Empresses Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle have ruled side by side over all creation. Throughout the many trials and travails of their eternal lives, whatever they have done, they have done together.

So what does it mean when, for the first time in forever, one of them refuses to attend a private, annual celebration the two of them have always shared together? Sunset would sure like to know, because her wife has done just that. But in trying to understand her wife's absence, she may wind up dredging up unpleasant memories long buried...

Submission for Oroboro's Sunset Shipping Contest: Journeys.

Published 2018-09-03 21:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-09-03 21:10:01 UTC

As is Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything that doesn’t belong to me.

The banquet hall, like all the common chambers in the divine Palace of Sunlight, was a breathtaking display of art and architecture, the envy of all in the mortal realm. The colors of the holy citadel’s mistresses, rich red and yellow intermixed with vibrant purple, were on display throughout the hall, from the floor tiles to the tapestries to the pillars supporting the lofty ceiling to the stained glass skylight allowing light from one of the mistress’s charges to shine in dappled hues across the floor.

The banquet table was laden with exotic meals and delicacies and treats beyond imagining, the smallest of which could feed the poorest family in the mortal cities huddled in the great spire’s shadow for more than a year, but would barely satisfy the godly appetites of the Twin Empresses for more than a few moments at best. Only the most skilled and talented chefs and cooks and patissiers were allowed to work in the palace, and they had to be ready at a moment’s notice, day or night, to satisfy the whims of their mistresses, just like all who had been chosen to serve their immortal matriarchs. They had truly outdone themselves preparing this meal, with more than a few of the kitchen staff working themselves to the brink of death, to make sure all was ready in time, for this was no mere dinner, but a celebration; a feast the two divinities commissioned every year to commemorate an important event in their eternal lives…though, strangely, they had never at any point explained what the event was to commemorate, claiming it was something private, something only to be shared between the two of them and no other, and so this was one event which no mortal was allowed to celebrate. In fact, outside of the palace, nobody even knew this event existed. The staff had debated and speculated the significance of the occasion for years, but their mistresses had never hinted at its importance. Not even their closest servants or friends had any idea what it signified.

Despite the size of the table, there were only two chairs, both thrones far outshining the seats of power of the wealthiest mortal monarchs, despite being more austere and unadorned then one might expect the chair of a goddess to be. (According to rumor, there had once been three chairs, but nobody could ever remember anyone ever sitting in it. Eventually, it had disappeared.) In one throne sat the Queen of Light and Fire, Goddess of the Sun and one of the two most powerful beings in all of creation, the Divine Empress Sunset Shimmer, the holy radiance emanating from her (literally) golden skin rivaling that of the celestial body she controlled enough to blind any who gazed upon her immaculate beauty unprepared, the heat from her floor-length flaming hair enough to incinerate any unprotected mortal who drew too close, her glorious wings the awe and envy of all who flew through the skies, even the spirit of the Rainbow.

The other throne was empty. Sunset Shimmer was the only one of the Twin Empresses present.

A heavy air of anticipation and dread filled the hall as Sunset stared, unblinking, at the other throne, as if she were trying, through sheer force of will, to make it occupied. And while such a feat was not beyond her power, the chair continued to remain empty. The servants standing at attention throughout the room, ready to serve their mistresses the minute it was time for the feast to commence, grew more and more nervous as the minutes dragged on without their second Queen appearing, sweat rolling down their oiled and nearly-naked forms (for the goddesses enjoyed looking over the attractive forms of their staff) as the hall grew hotter and hotter, the only outward sign of Sunset Shimmer’s frustration, impatience…and worry?

No, surely it couldn’t be, for whatever could one as omnipotent and perfect as Sunset Shimmer have to fear?

And yet the treasonous, blasphemous thought continued to worm its way into their minds, and they prayed their mistress did not see what they were thinking, lest they be obliterated on the spot for even daring to conceive of such weakness in their monarch. They vowed to chastise themselves for such lack of faith later.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sunset finally spoke, her words resonating throughout the entire palace. “She’s not coming.”

Sunset’s handmaiden Rarity, a flawlessly beautiful white woman with lustrous long purple curls whose voluptuous form was barely contained in the slim (but incredibly tasteful) garments that could very generously be considered ‘clothing’ fidgeted beside her mistress’s side. “Perhaps… Perhaps she merely… Lost track of time? After all, she does have a habit of getting a bit caught up in her experiments, so maybe…” She trailed off as Sunset stared right at her, the goddess’s gaze piercing right to her very soul. She trembled, fearing she had spoken out of turn.

After moment, Sunset turned away, and Rarity had to struggle not to breathe a sigh of relief. “Twilight Sparkle does not lose track of time,” Sunset intoned. “Twilight Sparkle tells time what it is. Which can only mean one thing… That she is deliberately choosing not to attend.”

Despite themselves, the servants gasped, aghast. Just as shocked, Rarity again forgot herself and said, “Chose not to… But that’s not… I do not understand, why would she…”

“I do not understand either,” Sunset said, the room growing hotter for a moment as her anger flared up again… Only to cool off, the air distinctly tinged with worry. “I know she’s never enjoyed this day, she has said as much on multiple occasions, but for her to outright refuse to attend-“

“I’m sorry,” Rarity interjected, so shocked that she didn’t realize what she was doing until it was far too late. “Did… Did you say that Her Divinity didn’t enjoy-“

Sunset shot a glare at her again, and once more Rarity clammed up, certain with every passing second that she was about to be obliterated for daring to interrupt her mistress. “Forget you heard that,” Sunset said after a moment.

Rarity blinked, confused. “Forget what?” She asked, not understanding what she was talking about.

Sunset smiled, but only for a brief moment. “Exactly.” And then her mood darkened, as did the room, the light reacting to its mistress’s emotions. “Now, where could she…” Sunset trailed off, closing her eyes. All present felt a slight pressure on their minds, tendrils of psychic force prodding them and every other living and unliving thing in the palace. More than a few moaned in ecstasy, the divine influence on their souls filling them with unimaginable bliss. Rarity made a note to check her loincloth later to make sure it didn’t need to be changed.

After a moment, Sunset withdrew her consciousness, much to the dismay of more than a few (Rarity included), and the goddess opened her eyes, a stormy look at them. “Twilight Sparkle is not in the palace.”

There were more gasps throughout the room. “Not in… But why would she leave without telling anyone?!” Rarity stammered, horrified. Without telling you, went unsaid.

“That is something I intend to find out,” Sunset said, eyes narrowing. “Spike. Come. NOW.”

There was a displacement of air, and a scrawny purple and green Dragon whelp, a gift to Twilight Sparkle from the Dragon Queen Ember, appeared next to her throne, on the other side from Rarity. He immediately bowed to her. “Yes, Your Divinity?”

“Where is Twilight Sparkle?” Sunset asked, not bothering with preamble.

Spike froze. “I… I’m sorry, Your Divinity, but I can’t tell you.”

There were no gasps at this statement. Everyone was too shocked to say anything, or even breathe at this brazen act of defiance. Even Sunset seemed taken aback for a moment. “You… You can’t…” Her eyes narrowed. “I hope you mean to say that you can’t tell me because you don’t know where your mistress is, or this conversation is about to get a lot more unpleasant.”

“I’m sorry, Your Divinity, I really am!” Spike cried desperately, aware that his remaining lifespan might be measured in moments. “I do know where she is, but I literally cannot tell you. Her Divinity put a goose on me to prevent me from telling anyone, especially you.”

Now the looks at Spike changed from shock to confusion. “A… Goose?” Asked a dumbfounded Sunset.

Spike nodded. “Yeah! Well, actually, she said ‘geese,’ but that didn’t make sense to me. Granted, she didn’t actually put a goose on my head, so I don’t understand why she said that, but she told me that it meant that I couldn’t tell anyone where she’d gone, and I don’t really understand what geese have to do with that, but it’s what she told me, so-“

Sunset facepalmed. Like everything she did, it was unimaginably graceful and breathtaking. “Spike, do you mean she put a ‘geas’ on you?”

“Yes!” Spike said excitedly. “That! Exactly that! That’s even how she said it!” He frowned in confusion. “Though it’s kind of a weird way to say ‘geese’ if I do say so myself.”

Sunset sighed in exasperation. “Spike, a geas is a magical prohibition. It means that you are enchanted so as not to tell anyone where Twilight went.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense than what I thought it meant,” Spike said, embarrassed.

Rarity shook her head in amusement. “Oh, Spikey-Wikey.” She frowned. “But… Wait, that means that Her Divinity-“

“Left the palace without telling me, her wife and partner in all things, and made certain the only person who might be able to tell me where she went wouldn’t be able to tell me,” Sunset finished, voice trembling with anger… And, even deeper, sorrow. “How could she… I don’t understand, why would she do this to me?”

“I’m… Sure she had a good reason,” Rarity said awkwardly, more to convince herself than her mistress.

Spike nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she said she couldn’t stand having to sit through this day and act like it’s something to celebrate for another year so had to get out before she did something she’d really regret.” Everyone gave him shocked looks at that. Realizing how many eyes were on him, he cringed and said, “You know, she should probably have put a goose on me not to say that, too…”

“She didn’t… She didn’t want to celebrate…” Sunset stammered, stunned. “How could she… I don’t… Does she really believe…” Her eyes hardened, and the room started to get all a lot hotter all of a sudden, much to the discomfort of everyone else. “Does she honestly think that this isn’t hard for me, too?! After all this time, does she not understand how I feel about-“

“Y-Your Divinity, please,” Rarity begged.

Sunset stopped, noticing for the first time how her anger was affecting her vassals. A few had collapsed from heat stroke, and those still standing were only doing so from sheer force of will, wavering as if the slightest breeze would be to knock them over. Spike, being a Dragon, didn’t get what the big deal was and didn’t understand why everyone was acting like it was too hot, it actually felt rather nice on his scales, seeing as how he always felt the palace was just a little too cold. Alarmed, Sunset quickly reeled her temper in, the room cooling significantly in the process, much to the relief of everyone except for Spike.

“My apologies,” she said to Rarity, conjuring a glass of wine, which her handmaiden gratefully drank down. “I do not mean to… I simply cannot fathom why my wife would do this…” She turned to Spike. “Come closer.”

The Dragon toddled over, and Sunset’s eyes narrowed as she examined him with her divine sight. The framework of the numerous spells and enchantments Twilight had cast over the Dragon to make him hers body and soul, as well as enhance him to make him a better underling and guinea pig for her work, soon stood out to her. There was a new addition to the intricate lattice of invisible ruins and seals covering the diminutive dragon’s form, which she quickly deduced must be the geas Twilight had placed on him. Like all of Twilight’s spells, it was a masterwork of magical craftsmanship, layers upon layers of mystical sigils interwoven in a fantastically complex knot to prevent him from divulging his mistress’s secrets, even by torture or mind probe. For a moment, Sunset considered trying to break the spell, but while she was no slouch in the magic department, Twilight had always been the better spellcrafter of the two of them, and if she made a mistake, it could kill Spike. And if that were to happen, Twilight would never let her hear the end of it. If she were to discover her wayward wife’s whereabouts, she would have to do it herself.

She rose to her feet. “I shall go forth into the world and find Twilight,” she said resolutely, a determined expression on her face. And then, because she was not a cruel goddess, she said, “If we are not back within the hour, you may distribute the food to those in need.”

“All of it?!” Rarity asked, startled. While it was not unheard of for her mistresses to give away food, this much was unprecedented! “Even the dessert? Pinkie Pie may have shaved off years of her extremely-prolonged life completing it! It’s her crowning achievement!” She gestured at what would only be described as a scale model of all of creation done out of pastries and frosting and sweets, with a towering cake which was a hundred percent accurate duplicate of the Palace of Sunlight as a centerpiece rising so high it nearly touched the ceiling.

“Then I’m sure she will be elated for a chance to surpass herself, and that her masterpiece will bring a smile to someone else’s face,” Sunset said calmly. She looked upwards, the light shining on her face. “And now, let’s see if I can do something about putting one back on mine…” She murmured to herself, so low none heard it. She spread her wings, ascending into the air and vanishing into the sunlight.

A somewhat rehydrated Rarity smiled as she looked heavenward. ”Find her, Your Divinity. Bring her home.”

Then, without looking down, she smacked Spike’s claw away from one of the many dishes on the table. “Ow!”

“You heard Her Divinity! The food is not to be touched for an hour!” Rarity chided the Dragon. “And even then, it is only to be given to those in need!”

“But I’m hungry! That means I’m in need now!” Spike protested.

“That didn’t work for my sister, and it’s not going to work for you either, mister!” Rarity scolded the Dragon. “What you should be concerning yourself more with is our mistresses, and how things are going to be once they get back.” She bit her lip in concern. “Somehow I fear that their reunion will be a bit… Tumultuous.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably an understatement. Also, what does ‘tumultuous’ mean?”

Rarity gave him an incredulous look. “You serve Twilight Sparkle, and you haven’t learned things like that?”

“When she starts using really big words, I kind of tune out,” Spike admitted.

Rarity facepalmed. “It’s no wonder the Dragon Queen seemed so eager to get rid of you…”

Not only was Twilight Sparkle a goddess, she was, without a doubt, the greatest sorceress in all of creation. Given that she had more or less invented magic alongside Sunset Shimmer, this was hardly a surprise. If she did not wish to be found, then it would be virtually impossible to find her, the numerous cloaks and shrouds she could weave around herself to mask her power and hide her true nature so perfect, so impenetrable, even a God could spend days, weeks, if not longer scouring the world for her without finding a single trace.

It took Sunset ten minutes to find her wife. They were married, after all, and the bond between their souls was so strong, even the greatest of enchantments couldn’t hide her forever.

Not that Twilight made it easy, of course. Sunset had to exert more effort than usual to locate her beloved, and it was only by a stroke of luck that she noticed a soul burning just a bit too brightly in a town far, far from the Palace, bordering the vast and untamed Everfree forest. To most, this would merely indicate a being of potential power or destiny, interesting, but not especially noteworthy. To Sunset, more familiar with her wife and her magics than any being in all creation, it might as well have been a big flashing sign saying ‘TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS HERE.’

As she descended upon the town, she suppressed the majority of her power and godliness, diminishing herself to less than one percent of her true divinity so as not to accidentally annihilate the locals through mere proximity to her godly glory. Even so, with her majesty and radiance pushed down as far as she could manage, she was still such a striking figure and presence that all couldn’t help but turn their heads and stare at her as they went past, be they man, woman, child, young, old, or other. Merchants and shopkeeps cried for her to sample their wares, people smiled and nodded at her as she went by, children ran up to tell her she was pretty, and beggars actually offered her what meager savings they had acquired that day. To all of this, she smiled and nodded demurely, gently turning down their offers and gifts and telling them they would do better offering such charity and kindness to each other, surreptitiously granting them blessings of fortune and goodwill as she went on, for she believed that generosity should be rewarded.

Her divine senses told her this was a decent town. Despite being very distant from the center of the world, it was relatively prosperous, the people happy and mostly content, and their faith in their holy Empresses unmistakable. If Twilight had been visiting this town often – – and Sunset could tell she had been, she could feel her beloved’s presence everywhere, like a warm embrace – – she could understand why, and made a note to check in on it again now and then in the future. It seemed like a nice enough place to visit when exploring the mortal realms.

However, the good mood this pleasant hamlet filled her with wasn’t enough to completely drown out her anger, and deeper than that, her worry. Why had Twilight done this? Was there something she had said or done to drive her beloved away? Although she racked her mind, she couldn’t think of anything, other than their usual argument regarding this day. As always, Twilight had said she didn’t feel comfortable holding a feast commemorating this day, while Sunset, as always, had insisted on the importance of it. Twilight had never hid the fact that she resented this day, or Sunset’s insistence on having a celebration on it, but it wasn’t as if Sunset was exactly fond of this day, either! Didn’t Twilight understand how this day made her feel, too? It’s not like Twilight was the only one who-

And suddenly, there she was. Not for the first time, Sunset stopped dead in her tracks, her breath taken away by the vision of beauty before her. Even at less than one percent of her full glory, Twilight Sparkle was still the most magnificent person in this town, if not all of creation, save for Sunset herself. Her flawless skin an alluring shade of purple, her long, flowing dark hair with a vibrant magenta stripe glittering with stardust, a warm and caring smile on her face and eyes gleaming with an intellect and thirst for knowledge burning brighter then Sunset’s own celestial charge… Not for the first time, Sunset pitied the mortals for lacking the insight necessary to see the world for what it really was, and to recognize the deity within their midst for what she really was and shower her with the love and adoration she deserved, worshipping and venerating the ground she stepped on.

The mortal she was talking to certainly didn’t seem to understand just what an honor and a privilege it was to be speaking to her. He was tall, and handsome enough, she supposed, with dark tan skin and green hair, dressed like a Ranger. And he was…

Was he…

Were they…

Flirting with each other?!

Sunset’s complicated mix of emotions suddenly gave way to pure, unadulterated fury. While she and Twilight had loved each other since before the dawn of time and always would love each other, that did not mean they did not have dalliances with mortals and immortals or other beings from time to time. Rarity and Twilight’s Amazonian champion Fizzlepop had joined them in bed on more than one occasion, and they had an extensive harem full of loyal and loving beings more than willing to pleasure their goddesses or satisfy their every desire.

But usually she and Twilight had the decency to tell each other if someone had caught their eye, not sneak around each other’s backs like a mortal philanderer! And for her to even contemplate doing such a thing on this of all days was absolutely unforgivable-

Twilight shot Sunset a glare. You’re causing a scene. Calm down before you burn the whole town down, she said, mind-to-mind.

Calm?! You expect me to be calm when you’re-

You’re on fire.

Sunset glanced down and noticed that the robes she’d covered herself in were indeed on fire. The townsfolk were recoiling in alarm and running to get water to put her out. Somewhat embarrassed, she extinguished herself and quickly erased the last few seconds from the minds of all the mortals present. Okay. I’m calm. But you’d better have a very good explanation for this.

Just a moment. Twilight said something to the Ranger, and he smiled, nodded, and walked off. Before Sunset could lose her temper again, Twilight hurried over and quickly said, “Timber Spruce and I are just friends. Nothing more.”

“He didn’t look at you like someone who wants to be ‘just friends,’” Sunset said darkly.

Twilight blushed and looked away. “I can’t deny that I don’t feel a similar attraction to him, but you know that I would never act on it without telling you first. And… Besides, I wouldn’t do it today. It would be disrespectful.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. “More disrespectful then avoiding the feast we had planned?”

Twilight flinched, but only briefly before her expression darkened, as did the skies. “I told you I didn’t want us to have something like that today. I’ve told you a thousand times, more than a thousand, but you never listen.”

“To not have a feast, to do nothing at all, would be the ultimate sign of disrespect,” Sunset retorted angrily. “Today, she would be-“

“2,179,” Twilight snapped. “But only if she were here. But she’s not here, Sunset. She hasn’t been for a very long time, and she never will be again. I don’t see the point in continuing to hold birthday celebrations for someone who’s been dead for thousands of years.”

Sunset’s temper flared again, both figuratively and literally, although this time she had the presence of mind to make sure the mortals didn’t notice anything. “It’s not like you’ve left me with many other options!” She shouted angrily, stomping the ground and causing the whole world to shake. “You erased all memory of her from the mortal and immortal realms, destroyed every last trace of her in our palace, obliterated the day she died from the calendar forever, won’t even say or think her name… Today is all we have left of her, Twilight! And you want to take that away as well?! Our daughter, Twilight! We are the only two people left in all of creation who even remember her, and you just want to… To what, pretend she never existed?!”

Twilight trembled with anger and sorrow. “Would that be so wrong?” She asked hoarsely. “If she’d never existed?”

Sunset recoiled, thunderstruck. Also, there was an actual lightning strike in the distance. “You can’t… You can’t mean that!”

“I…” Shaking, Twilight glanced away. “I don’t… Sometimes I do. I hate myself for it, but I do, Sunset.”

“Twilight… How could you…” Sunset whispered, shocked.

“Sometimes I wish I could just forget like everyone else did,” Twilight said hollowly. “Because then maybe… Then maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much. I’ve gotten rid of just about everything I could find that reminds me of her, but there’s still a hole in my life shaped like her. No matter what I do try to forget, she’s still there.” She squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her cheeks, flowers blossoming from the cobblestones beneath their feet when they hit the ground. It also started raining. “It hurts so much, Sunset. Why does it hurt so much? It’s been thousands of years, but I still miss her just as much as I did on the day she… On the day she died…” “Eyes wet, she glanced at Sunset. “And sometimes I think that maybe it was wrong of us to bring her into this world… Because then I wouldn’t feel this pain.” She started shaking. "Our mortals would probably be living in a post-scarcity utopian super-society by now if I could just...could just focus long enough to get any work done without, without thinking of her face, of her smile, of-of-"

“Oh, Twilight,” Sunset whispered, hugging her wife and holding her to her ample breast as Twilight broke down, sobbing into her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me? You aren’t the only one who misses her.”

“You aren’t the one who carried her for nearly a century,” Twilight rasped bitterly. “You weren’t the one who held her up to her last breath, who nearly forfeited everything, my very existence in this realm, trying to bring her back, only to fail again and again.”

“No,” Sunset agreed, crying as well. “But that does not mean I loved her any less than you. I was her mother, too, and if it were in my power, I would bring her back. Even if it meant my own death.”

Twilight stiffened, suddenly realizing what she’d implied. “Sunset, I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you of loving her any less-“

“You’re hurting. It’s fine. I hurt too, even now,” Sunset assured her, gently stroking her hair.

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her wife harder. “I don’t understand. We’re the most powerful beings in all of creation. Billions live and die at our command. With a thought, we can destroy or reshape continents, bend all of reality to our will, even reverse time. And yet, no matter what we did, we couldn’t bring our daughter back.”

“Even the mightiest beings in existence must have some limitations, I suppose,” Sunset said softly. “Something to remind us that, no matter how mighty we might be, some things are beyond even our control.”

Twilight sobbed. “I hate it. I hate it so much.”

“I’m not exactly fond of it as well,” Sunset said sadly.

“Why does it still hurt so much, even after all this time? We’ve lost so many over the eons, more than even I can count. Friends, loved ones, lovers. We mourned them, and moved on. But why… Why can’t we… Why can’t I move on from this?” Twilight questioned despondently.

“Because none of them was our daughter,” Sunset said, managing a ghost of a fond smile. “None of them had a place in our hearts like she did. And so none of them left as much of an impact as when she was ripped away from us forever.” She glanced at her wife. “Which is why I always insist on throwing that stupid birthday feast for her every year. I know it hurts you, and I’m sorry for not taking your feelings more into account. But it hurts me too, and… And in a way, that pain is a good thing.”

“Why?” Twilight whispered miserably. “How could it possibly be a good thing?”

Sunset smiled at her beloved through her tears. “Because it reminds us that she was alive, and a part of our lives. And even if the time we had with her was brief, the joy fleeting… Isn’t it so much better that we had her once, and loved her, then for us to never have had her at all? Can you look back on all those happy memories we had together, and honestly say that no, it wasn’t worth all the grief that followed after?”

Twilight was silent for a long while, contemplating this. Finally, she shuddered and said, “No. I can’t say that. And, looking back… Even if I had known from the start how her life would end…”

“You wouldn’t change a thing,” Sunset finished her sentence. “And neither would I.”

They smiled at each other, and kissed, and sunlight shone down upon the town once more as the flowers that had been sprouting from their tears blossomed outwards to create a thriving garden in the middle of the street. When they finally pulled apart, Twilight said, “I’m sorry I just ran off like that, and ensorcelled Spike to keep you from finding me. And accused you of not missing her as much as I did. And allowed my grief to keep me from advancing our world into an unending golden age of limitless wonders and miracles. ”

“And I’m sorry I kept trying to force you to attend a celebration I know you hate,” Sunset apologized. “If you really want to stop throwing these birthday feasts, I’ll stop. We can find another way to remember her.”

“… No. No, it’s all right,” Twilight said after a moment. “You’re right that it’s important to honor her memory. I shouldn’t have tried so hard to erase her from my own life.” She bit her lip, and then gave her wife a hopeful look. “I… I think I may have held onto some of her things. Later, would… Would you like to help me put them back where they belong? Restore some of the traces of her I’ve tried so hard to destroy?”

Sunset laughed, and several of the woman in the town suddenly found themselves pregnant. “I can’t think of anything I would like to do more. Shall we go home?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. But… Can we take the scenic route? If this is a day for remembrance, then… I think I’d like to remember some of the things about her I’ve been trying so hard to forget.”

Sunset smiled gorgeously. “I was wrong. Now I can’t think of anything I would like to do more.”

Both of them beaming, the goddesses disappeared without a trace. Nobody noticed their disappearance, because nobody remember them ever having been there in the first place.

They did wonder where this beautiful and vibrant garden in the middle of the street had come from, though. The three flower sellers swore they had nothing to do with it.

Sunset and Twilight were in no rush to get home. They revisited places where they had once taken their daughter, places they had neglected for centuries, if not longer. They talked for hours, recalling some of their favorite memories of her, things they had avoided discussing, even thinking about, for millennia.

And Twilight, for the first time since her death, said her daughter’s name.

As such, it was rather late when they returned to the palace, and Sunset was certain that Rarity had followed her instructions and given away the food by now. That was fine, they would grab something light to eat and call it a day. There was no need for them to do anything big after the day they had just had.

As such, they were understandably surprised when they got home and found an even BIGGER feast waiting for them in the banquet hall, a large banner proclaiming ‘HAPPY RECONCILIATION OVER PAST GRIEF AND YOUR DAUGHTER’S 2,179TH BIRTHDAY, EMPRESSES SUNSET AND TWILIGHT!’

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she appeared behind her mistresses, throwing confetti everywhere as they gawked in disbelief at the absolutely massive spread of food filling the chamber, which was occupied by all of their most trusted servants and friends, who applauded their entrance. “Welcome home, Your Divinities! Were you surprised? Please tell me you were surprised! It’s so very hard for me to plan surprise parties for beings that are practically omniscient!”

“Yes, Pinkie Pie, we were most definitely surprised,” said a stunned Sunset.

“Yes!” Pinkie cheered, pumping a fist before cartwheeling away to cut the cake, which was a towering confectionary sculpture resembling what their daughter might have looked like if she were still alive now, and Sunset couldn’t decide if that was incredibly touching, disturbing, disrespectful, or all of the above. Spike, looking horribly bloated from having too much of the previous feast when Rarity wasn’t looking, just stared at the masterpiece and sobbed, for there was no room left in his stomach to eat it. Rarity was completely unsympathetic.

“How… How is this possible?!” Twilight stammered in disbelief. “How could she possibly have known-“

“Twilight, we’ve talked about this before,” Sunset interjected. “No matter how powerful or wise or all-knowing we think we are, one thing is absolute: we will never, EVER understand Pinkie Pie. Now let’s go take a bite out of the giant baked representation of our deceased daughter before anyone else can.”

“But… But…” Twilight sagged. “Oh, fine.”

“And after that, I can take a bite out of you,” Sunset purred, causing her wife to blush. “I bet I could give you a much better time than that Timber mortal.”

Twilight blushed. “Oh, stop.”

The celebration lasted long into the night, and at the end of it, Twilight agreed that they should do something similar the next year. Pinkie, who’d already intended to just that, assured her she was already planning the next 500. The goddess’s sorrow over the loss of her daughter had not diminished that day, but she’d been reminded that she did not have to be alone in sharing her grief. So long as she had Sunset by her side, she could handle the pain and all that came with it, both good and bad.

Together, as always, they would handle everything their eternal lives threw at them.

Just like they handled the startling revelation that Sunset was pregnant a few days later, but that’s a story for another day.