Retirement Announcement and Plans For the Future
In the Main Library of the Friendship Castle, the World Mirror hummed to life, even though no one was around to see it do so. A moment later Twilight Sparkle stepped through the portal, followed soon after by Sunset Shimmer.
"I will never get used to that," Sunset grumbled as she readjusted to being a pony once again. Even though it had only been a few weeks since she had last been to Equestria, it still felt weird.
Twilight giggled. "Now you know how I feel every time I go through to Canterlot High." She turned toward the exit. "Come on. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are waiting for us in the Throne Room."
Sunset soon caught up with her. "Did they say why they wanted to see us?"
Though she and Princess Celestia had finally reconciled and were once again on speaking terms, Sunset was still getting used to Princess Luna and her way of thinking.
Twilight shook her head. "No. All they said was that they wanted to meet both of us." She bit her lip as a thought came to her. "How are things there?"
Sunset smiled. "Back to normal. Or as normal as it will ever be at Canterlot High." Her gaze dropped. "The girls do wish you would visit more often. They do miss you."
Twilight sighed. "I know. But I can never find the time." Her brow rose. "And if I remember right, you tried to write me out of their minds at Camp Everfree."
Sunset blushed. "It was the heat of the moment, I couldn't help myself." Her smile became a smirk. "And your counterpart is really wishing you two could meet and it not be after a crisis."
Twilight chuckled. "I bet. But from what I hear, she's been doing pretty well herself with her own magic. Unless she wants to visit Equestria." Twilight stopped and looked fully at Sunset. "Does she?"
Sunset nodded, seeing no point in hiding the truth. "They all want to visit. Heck, the girls have wanted too since the Fall Formal I think."
Twilight nodded, not that surprised. "Well one of these days, we will have to do that. Have everyone meet and hope the universe survives two Pinkie Pies in the same place at the same time."
Sunset shuddered at the thought. If Equestria's Pinkie was anything like her Canterlot High self, it would be insane, to say the least.
***
"Are you sure of this?" Princess Luna asked her sister with a frown.
Celestia gave her sister a small smile. "Luna. We have been over this more times than I care to count. Even Starswirl agrees with me. It is time."
Luna sighed. "I suppose. But it still feels wrong to ask this of them. I do not doubt Princess Twilight's abilities. Miss Shimmer's on the other hoof..."
Celestia couldn't help but grimace a bit at that. Though she and Sunset had made up, the pain of their fight years ago still lingered, and more than likely always would.
"I have faith in her Lulu. She has proven herself again and again in her world."
"That is different Tia and you know it," Luna retorted. "But I have been wrong before."
Celestia nodded. "Are you sure you want her to have it? Twilight is more than capable of doing so."
Luna nodded. "Indeed. But Twilight will always have a spot for you in her heart, no matter how much we have become friends. It is only right for her to have it."
Celestia also nodded, seeing what Luna meant. If Twilight accepted the burden, then that feeling would help greatly when the time came.
Any further talk was halted as Twilight and Sunset entered the room. Though she had been in the room before, it still took Sunset's breath away.
"This must be what Crystal Prep looks like," she thought idly before focusing on the two alicorns before them.
Princess Celestia wore the same benevolent smile she always did, but both she and Twilight could feel a certain nervousness to it now. Which had them both worried.
What would make Princess Celestia like that at all? Neither could ever remember her being like that before.
Luna meanwhile looked thoughtful. Her gaze never left Sunset, and it made her gulp. Or maybe that had to do with dealing her counterpart at Canterlot High.
Twilight spoke up first. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. We came as soon as we could. Is there something wrong?"
"Is it another villain?" Sunset asked.
Celestia and Luna shared a look before bursting into laughter. "Oh relax you two. There isn't a new threat or a problem," Celestia said.
"You've beaten them all at this point anyway," Luna added before her gaze hardened. "Nay, this is something of far more importance."
Celestia nodded. "Luna and I are retiring."
Twilight and Sunset both blinked in unison. "Can, can princesses even do that?" Sunset asked.
Luna nodded. "Of course. When we took the thrones of Equestria after Hearth's Warming Eve, Princess Platinum retired from her role." She giggled at the memory. "Whether she wanted to or not."
Celestia chuckled at the memory too. "And Princess Cadance has talked of retiring when Flurry Heart comes of age."
Twilight was still in shock. "But. But. What about the sun and moon? You two are the only ones who can raise them!"
Celestia and Luna shared a knowing look. "And that is where the two of you come in," Celestia said.
"... What?" Twilight and Sunset replied together.
Luna nodded. "It is true that we would need to pass them on to others." Her gaze softened. "And I can't think of two more better suited."
Sunset wasn't exactly convinced, and there seemed to be a hole in their logic as she pointed at her wingless back. "Don't you have to be an alicorn? Unicorn remember?"
Celestia nodded. "Indeed. But our transference would allow you to ascend and become an alicorn like us." She walked over and placed a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. "Something you have more than earned."
Sunset blushed at the praise while Twilight finally put her thoughts together. "But the last time I did it, I had all the alicorn magic." She shook her head. "I couldn't do that again."
Celestia's smile grew as she walked over and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "At that time, you did so without training." Her smile grew. "And considering that, you did an amazing job."
Twilight shook her head as she looked her mentor in the eyes. "But that was just temporary. This would be permanent."
Celestia lifted her former student's head with a hoof. "Twilight, I have every confidence in your ability. I would not ask you otherwise."
Twilight's brow came together. "Ask me what?"
Celestia's smile softened. "Will you do me the honor, and take my place as Caretaker of the Sun?"
Twilight's jaw dropped. Sunset felt the same, but before she could comment, she felt Luna look her in there eye with a soft smile.
"I ask you the same Sunset Shimmer. Will you do me the honor and take my place as Caretaker of the Moon," she asked.
Sunset's answer wasn't exactly forthcoming for at that moment her brain shut down and she fell to the ground in a dead faint, followed a second later by Twilight.
Celestia sighed. "Do you think we overdid it?"
Luna rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault you pick students who overreact to everything they hear," she said before snickering.
Celestia just stuck her tongue out at her sister, who laughed harder.
***
Twilight was having the most wonderful dream. Princess Celestia had just asked her to be the new Solar Goddess. Of course, it wasn't real though. Her mentor would never really ask her that.
But it was a nice thought though.
"Twilight. It's time to wake up," came her mentor's voice. It even sounded like it was right next to her too.
She turned over in her sleep. "Five more minutes princess," she mumbled. She was liking this dream. She would have to thank Luna later for it.
Celestia smirked and pulled out her ultimate trump card. "You'll be tardy if you don't."
Just like that, Twilight and Sunset were instantly awake. "I'm up, I'm up!" Twilight yelped. Then they remembered where they were and what was going on.
"Real funny princess," Sunset grumbled. "I was having the nicest dream too. Princess Luna was asking me to be the new Lunar Goddess."
Luna chuckled. "While I would normally be happy to take the compliment, that was no dream."
Sunset sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."
Twilight sighed as well as she looked at Celestia. "Me too. Why me? I mean, I'm honored, but shouldn't this be something for Sunset?"
Sunset nodded as she looked at Luna. "I'm with Twilight. I've always been more of a night pony myself, and I've always loved the night sky. But we barely know each other."
Luna smiled softly as she lifted Sunset's head. "That is why I ask you this. Your love for all things connected to the night and your dedication to everything you set your mind to are all things that make one worthy."
She sighed. "Yes. We do not know each other all that well yet. But I would not ask you this if I did not think you were the one."
Celestia nodded as she raised Twilight's head. "Twilight. We have known each other for many years. In all that time, I have seldom seen anypony more dedicated to her friends, magic, and study."
She smiled. "When I first saw you, I saw more than a wide-eyed filly with so much potential. I saw someone who shone with the very essence of the sun herself. That shine has only grown stronger as you have grown."
Her smile softened. "I would not ask you this if I did not think you were worthy. I had hoped that this might wait some more years, but I know that you are ready."
Twilight and Sunset shared a look. Both could feel the princesses both meant what they said. And neither would deny that it had awoken something in both of them.
Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea, and maybe this was all sudden, but something was telling them to take the chance and take the plunge.
Turning back to their respective princess, they both asked. "When do we start?"
Celestia and Luna couldn't help but grin rather goofily at that. "As soon as you both are ready," she replied as she threw a hoof around Sunset's shoulder. "You should tell your friends in the other world. They have a right to know."
Sunset nodded. She just needed to figure out how she was going to explain all this to her friends and Canterlot High. Oh, joy.
Author's Note
Time for an old favorite of mine. While there are some things in common with another of my stories, there are several major changes.
This was in fact written before the other one. In fact I love this one more than I do the other. For a very simple reason.
I hate that people always give the sun to Sunset and the moon to Twilight. Unoriginality at its worst past the first story to do so.
So I mixed things up. If you bother to actually think about it, it fits more that Sunset would take over one day from Luna and Twilight from Celestia.
Now, this does in fact change everything past Forgotten Friendship. Season 8, 9, and Spring Breakdown will not happen as we know them.
"And so here we are," princess Twilight finished explaining as she looked around at the Rainbooms while Sunset sat next to her and nodded.
The two had returned to Canterlot High as soon as they were able to. Sunset was able to get all the girls together for an impromptu meeting at the local Sugarcube Corner.
All things considered, they were taking it rather well. The memory of their recent actions caused by the Memory Stone might have had something to do with it, but none of them brought it up.
For both Princess Twilight and Canterlot High's Twilight, it was still weird to see an almost exact duplicate of themselves sitting across from each other, though most of the weird had worn off after the Friendship Games.
But not all of it.
"That does sound exciting darlings. But I must confess on what this means for Sunset and school?" Rarity asked. "Did you have any plans after graduation?"
Sunset shook her head. "Probably would have gone back to Equestria once school ended for good." She smirked. "I didn't exactly plan on staying as long as I have."
That got a slight smile out of the group. "Does Principle Celestia know that?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset nodded. "After the mess with the Memory Stone, I told her that I really didn't have any plans on staying here. Equestria is still my home. No matter how much I love it here."
"What about your family?" Applejack asked.
Sunset winced. Even Princess Twilight was surprised by her reaction. "I don't have one here. I looked for them when I first came here. I never found them or anything related to them."
"What does that mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Sunset slumped in her chair. "As far as I know, this world's Sunset Shimmer has never lived here or in the surrounding area. It was why it was so easy to get enrolled as a new student at Canterlot High."
The native Twilight pushed her glasses up. "That still leaves the question of what happens now? This won't happen immediately will it?"
Princess Twilight shook her head. "No. The transfer won't happen for a few months yet. Sunset and I don't even know what to do at the moment." She smiled. "But that's also partly why we're here."
"Why's that?" Pinkie asked, even though she looked excited about something.
Sunset's smile was back as she rose up. "We know you girls want to see Equestria. Meet your counterparts. So we're inviting you guys to come over and stay awhile."
That got all their attention, but Sci Twi didn't look convinced. "Is that even legal? I mean, I want too. But isn't having two copies of the same pony, I don't know, weird?"
Princess Twilight giggled. "Not as much as it used to be. As for it being legal? Seeing as the World Mirror is in my castle, I actually have the authority to say who can and can't come through."
Her smile grew. "And like Sunset said, I know you girls have wanted to see Equestria since the Fall Formal. It's just not been possible to do so until now."
That helped a little, but there were still a few things left in the open. "Where would we even stay, and what about our families here?" Fluttershy asked.
Princess Twilight nodded. "My friends in Ponyville have said they're more than happy to let you guys stay with them, and if that doesn't work, I have plenty of extra rooms in the castle."
Sunset nodded. "We're not making you guys come with us. It's your choice. It just wouldn't feel right without you though."
The Rainbooms shared a look for a moment before answering. "Do you need an answer now?" Twilight asked.
Princess Twilight shook her head. "I and Sunset had planned on staying here for a few days. I don't spend nearly enough time with you girls. Time to change that."
Sunset nodded. "If you girls don't want to go, just let us know before we go back to Equestria. We won't hold it against you. You can always visit another time."
And for the moment, that was the end of that conversation as the talk sooned turned to other things.
***
A few days later Twilight and Sunset stood outside the portal at Canterlot High. The school was over for the day, but their friends were nowhere to be found.
"Do you think they'll come?" Twilight asked.
Sunset shrugged. "I hope they do. It just wouldn't feel right without them. Neither of us would be where we are now without them. Good and bad."
Twilight nodded. It didn't feel right to leave them out of this. Heck, she wouldn't be half the princess she was without them and that first Fall Formal. But if they didn't want to come, then that was their choice.
Just as Sunset was about to call the girls to see if they had missed them, Pinkie Pie stuck her head out of the portal. "Are you two coming or what? Rainbow is getting bored. Both of them."
Sunset's brain melted at the sight. "Pinkie. How did you?"
"Silly Sunset. It's a trade secret," Pinkie giggled before vanishing back through the portal.
Twilight rubbed her forehead. "I have so many questions. How did we miss them? How come nopony told me?!" She grumbled.
Sunset rubbed her nose. "I have no idea. But I stopped question Pinkie Pie a long time ago. Even back in my old days."
Twilight nodded. "Good point." She gestured to the portal. "After you."
Sunset rolled her eyes before walking through the portal. Twilight remained a moment longer, looking back at Canterlot High before she too walked through the portal.
Author's Note
So how did Pinkie and the Rainbooms get to Equestria without Twilight and Sunset noticing? Because it's Pinkie Pie. Why are you asking dumb questions?
That aside, we did see Canterlot High's and Equestria's Pinkie switch places with the Friendship Games. So it's not out of the question for it to happen.
One big thing here I will say now. Sci Twi will be different in a big way from how we saw her in Spring Breakdown. Won't say how though at the moment.
