The Grand Occulus shook, causing the girls to huddle closer. The only light in the chamber now came from Cosmos's horn for the map had finally shut down sometime before. They all knew what that meant, no matter how much it hurt.

"That's it then isn't it?" Ivy asked as another rumble shook the chamber, stronger now the last one as rocks began to fall around them. "We're all that's left. There's no one else is there?"

Empress Cosmos, for all that title, meant now, nodded. "This universe is dead. We stand on the only solid ground left now."

Water Lilly chuckled. "With everything we've done, I didn't think it would end like this. I'd thought we'd go out with a bang or something."

That got a chuckle out of everypony. It was true. They had done so much good for all of Equus and beyond. But they had lost so much too. Each and every one of them remembered their families and how much it hurt when they had passed on.

it still hurt for five of them. Crystal, Emerald, Celestial, Orchid, and Water Lilly all hoped they had found peace in whatever afterlife they had gone too.

One none of them would ever see for only now did they understand what the oath they had all sworn meant: To be an Exarch meant never knowing what mortals knew as death. Whatever that meant any for Cosmos hadn't told them what would happen to them.

Not yet anyway. "So what happens now then?" Moon Petal asked.

Cosmos smiled. "Now? Now the cycle begins anew. One day another universe will be born here, one different from what we knew."

"Will they remember us?" Orchid asked.

Cosmos shook her head. "No. No one will ever know of what came before. It is always been like that. For the better, I feel."

"What about us?" Ocean Breeze asked.

Cosmos smiled. "Now? We go to our own afterlife, in a sense. I will return to my full self." Her smile dropped slightly. "And you girls will go to where all Exarchs go when the time comes."

Celestial looked worried as she and Diamond shared a look. "And what about our Oath?" She asked.

Cosmos stepped back and spread her wings. "As of this moment I hold your oaths fulfilled and no longer bind you to them." Her composure broke as she pulled them all into a hug, one they happily returned. "You will always be a part of me, and I you." She sniffed. "We will see each other again one day, I promise."

Crystal sniffed. "We're going to hold you to that." She bit her. "Does it hurt?"

Cosmos smiled. "Not at all. Think of it like going to sleep. When you wake up, you will be there. You will not feel a thing."

Amber giggled. "Sleep sounds good. I haven't slept in a billion years. Literally."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "None of us have for a long time that's for sure. It does sound good."

They all laughed before the biggest tremor yet hit, but this one didn't stop. Cosmos turned grim at this. "It is time." She whispered while she held the girls one last time before she stepped back.

The girls did as well as Cosmos closed her eyes and charged her horn. For a moment nothing happened, but then her eyes opened wide, revealing solid black, as a black light engulfed her horn. Somehow it hurt to even look at it and the girls had to look away. As they did the light filled the chamber, brighter than any sun, to the point the girls had to close their eyes.

The girls held each other close as they felt their bodies begin. But each and every one of them heard Cosmos as she spoke to them. One last time.

"Girls, thank you. For everything. Now and forever. Never forget. I will always love you. Forever."

Everypony smiled as the chamber's roof finally gave way.

And Crystal, Amber, Emerald, Diamond, Celestial, Ivy, Orchid, Ocean Breeze, Water Lilly, and Moon Petal knew no more.

Somepony was poking her, and Crystal didn't like it as she swatted the hoof away. "Five more minutes mom," she grumbled as she turned over in her sleep.

That got a giggle out of her tormentor but she stopped nonetheless. "You might want to see this Crystal," Amber replied.

Crystal groaned but opened her eyes anyway. Around her, the rest of the girls stood looking around at their surroundings. Cosmos was nowhere to be seen. In every direction seemed to be white.

"Is this it?" Diamond asked. "I thought it would be, I don't know, nicer? This is kinda boring. I'd rather take an endless void than all of this."

Even as her voice echoed around them, the white began to vanish, revealing a new vista to them. One that made their jaws drop.

In every direction, in front and behind them, stretched a huge domed area. It reminded them of the malls they had seen on Earth, but on a much larger scale. Every kind of store they could think of, and others they didn't even know filled it. From here they couldn't see what was on the other side of the dome overhead. Off in the distance, they could hear voices talking and laughing.

The girls blinked. "So, where do we even start? If this is where all Exarchs go, where is everyone? It's kinda empty in here," Celestial asked.

"Oh, you will all meet them in a little bit." Came a voice they all recognized. One that brought them up short as the speaker came over to them. A mare they knew rather well actually.

"Twilight?!" They all said in shock.

The mare was indeed Twilight Sparkle. Aside from her lack of wings, she looked exactly as how Crystal, Emerald, Celestial, Orchid, and Water Lilly had first her so long ago.

Twilight just grinned widely. "That's me."

"You're an Exarch?" Ocean Breeze asked, unable to believe what she was seeing. A feeling they all shared.

Twilight nodded. "As Big Mac used to say, eeyup." Her smile faded a little as she saw the looks in the girls' eyes, and her ears fell in sympathy, knowing what it meant. "She was me, wasn't she?"

Orchid nodded. "Yeah. It's just, kinda weird to see you, and know it's not her."

Twilight nodded as their gazes dropped. "You will see her again. She always makes time to come visit us. You will probably even meet another version of her here, but she will not know you."

"Why not?" Ivy asked.

Twilight sighed. "When she does come here, you can feel it's her if you see her. But unless you are part of the group that aspect once knew, she will not know you. Her memories are tied to those five. For the best I feel. It isn't fair to everyone else here, or to that group."

That put an end to their questions for the moment. It was some small comfort to know that much at least. It was better than nothing.

By now the group was beginning to come across other ponies. Every kind and age of pony was all around it seemed. All were happy about one thing or another. At the moment, however, the girls seemed to be the center of attention.

"Why is everypony looking at us?" Crystal asked.

Twilight grinned. "It's a thing for everypony that whenever a new group arrives, we all know about it. And." She paused, smiling sheepishly. "You girls are rather famous among Exarchs."

Now they were really confused. "How are we famous?" Water Lilly asked.

Twilight gasped, but before she could say more, a midnight blue pegasus rushed over to the group. "Are you kidding? You guys are the first time she ever took more than five of us at one time. That's a big deal!"

She looked almost younger than Crystal. Her huge grin and the way she talked reminded them of Pinkie Pie. Her grin grew wider as she looked at Amber. "Oh. My. Gosh! I can't believe I'm talking to you!" She squeed as she bounced in place.

Amber blinked. "What did I do?"

Twilight giggled. "Didn't she ever tell you? You were the first filly she ever took on as one of her Exarchs. Certainly not the last one of course, but that does mean you do stick out."

Amber thought about that for a moment. Now that she thought of it, Cosmos had told her once that she was the first one for her at her age. In all the time since she had forgotten about it. She smiled. "Thanks."

The Pegasus smiled wider as she looked at Crystal. "I'm Midnight Sparkle by the way. I can't wait to show you guys around. They have stuff just for us fillies."

Crystal smiled sheepishly as her stomach growled. "Is there someplace to eat? I haven't been this hungry in, well forever. Literally."

Midnight nodded as she grabbed both their hooves. "I know just the place. Follow me." With that, she faded away and zoomed off. Amber and Crystal shared a look before following the same way a few seconds later.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, we won't see them for a while. Midnight loves doing this for any new fillies she meets."

"Is she related to you?" Celestial asked as they watched the three vanish into the distance. "She has the same last name."

Twilight nodded. "In her universe she was. Her Twilight's younger sister." She smiled. "We come from different worlds and pasts, but I love like she was my sister and Midnight loves me as much as she did her Twilight."

Emerald meanwhile was looking at a sign next to them. Either she was going nuts, or that said what she thought it did. "Does that say what I think it does?" She asked, pointing at it.

Looking around, Twilight grinned. "Dragons R Us? Yep, that is what it says. Everything you can think of for your dragon, and even yourself in that form if you wanted to spruce your pony head up when in that form. I know I have used it several times."

Any further talk was interrupted by a collective growl from the girls' stomachs.

Twilight giggled. "Come on. Let's eat first, and then I'll show you girls around. There is just so much to see and do, that even I can't keep track of it all. And I have tried. Believe me, I have tried. I gave up a long time ago. It's not worth it. Plus it's more fun to find and discover new things. Especially from the Human World."

That got a collective giggle out of the group as they followed the unicorn off into the unknown.

Author's Note

I have a confession to make with this chapter. This is both the final chapter of Long Live The Empress and the first chapter of this story. Hence the beginning with the Orrery collapsing around them. It is always the final thing in a universe to go if an aspect lives there.

Onto the new realm, the girls live in. Twilight's past will be revealed in time. She will be one of the recouring new characters. Others will come and go, but will always be there.

One last thing. There is one section I took out because this is the first chapter. If the site will allow it, I'll add this chapter to Long Live The Empress as the final chapter with that section added. If not, then that section will be in a later chapter and I'll explain why then.