Zecora, Cadance, Shining Armour, Flurry Heart, Spike, The Mane Six, Starlight, Sunburst, Star Swirl, The rest of the pillars and even Discord are talking and drinking warm apple cider inside the remains of the Canterlot palace in the destroyed throne room.
Star Swirl is looking through a photo album of his classroom with Luna and Celestia playing and he gets somber.
Cadance is crying and through her tears she asks "If there was anything we could have done…"
Shining Armour tends to his wife "What does it matter. That monster killed our leaders, teachers and friends...."
he looks at Celestia's destroyed Throne
"....along with their legacies"
Discord says with a heavy heart.
"Yes and already the world seems a little less bright. Celestia lied to us all right till the end.… and her lies has cost her and her sister dearly. But throughout it all they will remain.... our friends."
he raises his drink
"To the Alicorn sisters the most harmonic, loyal and… friendly ponies Equestria has ever known and ever will know"
All of them hold up their drinks
"to the Royal Sisters."
They drink.
Star Swirl looks outside on the balcony and sees Twilight. She looks up at the night sky with tears streaming down her face. Star Swirl approaches her.
Star Swirl sits next to Twilight.
"I'm so sorry Twilight"
Twilight says nothing
Star Swirl puts his cape around Twilight to keep her warm.
"I know they were like family to you"
"And now they are gone."
Twilight replies.
"And I feel a piece of my heart thats gone I will never get back."
Fluttershy asks while crying
"What are we going to do now?"
Star Swirl comes back inside
"I'll tell you what we are going to do. We are going to stop that evil monster Grogar and save all of Equestria. I will not rest until he is locked away."
"Or killed."
Star Swirl turned around and was horrified to find out it was Twilight.
Every pony looks at her.
Star Swirl tries to calm her down. "Twilight I understand your rage but Grogar deserves to live a long life hated by all until he wants to die but can't. He deserves to suffer for everything that he has done and you can't just..."
"NO!!" Twilight snapped "I've made my decision I'm going to take a group of the best soldiers in Equestria I'm going to march on his Empire and I'm not gonna stop until The Emperor Grogar is dead!!!!!!"
Starlight thought about it for a moment but nodded her head.
"I agree he was the one that turned me evil. He has manipulated me, lied to me, and tortured me. I just couldn't let go of my unrelenting hate. He made me believe you were truly gone."
She says as she looks at Sunburst.
"I would love to have a piece of him. I would love to destroy all he holds close to him. I would love to see the look on his face when he realises it is I who destroyed him."
Then Stygian stood up.
"I can't help but agree with her. His powers turned me into that darkened beast. and I wouldn't mind getting a little revenge. Besides Star he has lived long enough. What this creature deserves isn't a cell where he can easily escape. Or even Linbo. He deserves to suffer for all that he has done."
Star Swirl looks around at the ponies and they all nod in agreement.
Twilight: ""it's decided then… DEATH TO THE EMPEROR!!!!"
They all cheer "DEATH TO THE EMPEROR !!!"
Except for Star Swirl who looks distraught.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The managerie was deadly silent.
But Twilight preferred silence for this.
She used the magic she had finally been able to harness to make the sun rise and the beautiful light shone through the trees around her.
As she walked slowly towards her destination each step seemed to make her heart sink more.
Finally she arrived and sat in front of them. Twilight wept so many tears.
While the cold liquid seeped out of her eyes and burned her cheek as it travelled down her face she couldn't stand to look at them.
But eventually she had to. She read the melancholic writing carved into the stone.
The Grave on the left read:
Here lies Luna.
🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙
Beloved Sister
'She may have had a dark heart once, But her good deeds shone through the darkness like stars in the night sky.'
🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙
And the Grave on the right read:
Here lies Celestia
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
She was good, honest, kind and fair.
Our glorious leader was beyond compare.
She was our north star.
She showed us the way.
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Twilight hung her head in shame for her fallen best and oldest friend.
"I'm....'I'm so sorry. I should have saved you. I was able to stop many threats from conquering our home but I wasn't able to save you. The two most important ponies not just to Equestria... but to me. You've guided me since I was a filly. You've given me knowledge and advice and friendship."
Suddenly she heard someone come up behind her. She turned around with a jump.
Starlight looked sympathetically at her mentor.
Twilight smiles.
"Are you alright Twilight?" Starlight asked with clear concern
"I'm fine" Twilight said wiping the waterfalls underneath her eyes.
"I didn't have a choice Twilight. I'm sorry."
Twilight looked at Starlight.
"It's fine Starlight. Come here."
Starlight slowly trotted up to Twilight and Twilight put her arms and wings around her pupil. They hugged for a long time.
"I forgave a lot of the horrifying acts that you committed.... but I saw you as the pony I knew you could become. And you have exceeded all my expectations."
Starlight started crying.
"I know but.... I'm still sorry I should have told you who tutored me before you. Grogar was the one that turned me into the tyrant you met 4 years ago."
Twilight looked at Starlight in the eyes.
"What's done is done Star. And we can't do anything about it. But together we can prevent this fate from falling on any other ponies in Equestria."
"I don't suppose you could tell me what Discord meant in there."
"In regards to what?"
"Them." Starlight said pointing to the graves. "What did they lie about?"
"When I was a filly. Celestia gave me books for my free time. The first one she ever gave me was one called "Gusty the Great." It was my personal favourite. But what she didn't tell me was that it wasn't a complete work of fiction.
"Why would she do something li.."
"Because Celestias mother was Gusty the great."
Starlight was in shock.
