Twilight moved from the outer chambers into the Equestrian throne room. Her heart thudded against her chest, and sweat poured from her brow. She had tried to put on a convincing and courageous face in front of her friends, and she had some success. But now that she was here, meeting with Celestia and Luna for the final time before her coronation as sole ruler of Equestria, the dam she had built around her emotions finally burst.
She managed to keep her composure long enough to offer a respectful bow to the royal sisters, who gladly returned it. “Welcome, Twilight,” Celestia said, “I’m very happy to see you! You are about to embark upon the journey of a lifetime, and there couldn’t be a more capable pony for the job.”
“Indeed,” Luna agreed, “you have shown the tenacity and compassion required of a true leader. You are somepony that we know we can count on to help out, even when the proverbial chips are down. I am honored to bequeath my powers to you tomorrow and see you off as the new ruler of Equestria.”
“Thank you both,” Twilight said, “I’m humbled that you’re entrusting Equestria into my care.”
She smiled, but inside she was screaming. She wanted to run, to get anywhere at all that would hide her from this new responsibility. The burden she carried as the Princess of Friendship was already heavy enough. Now, with the weight of an entire country on her shoulders, the emotional pain had been dominating her life. It had caused her to faint in the middle of teaching her friendship classes, and her worried students had to rush her to the Ponyville Hospital.
Now, she stood in front of the two most powerful ponies in the land, and her knees became weak. She felt lightheaded and stumbled a bit. Celestia was quick to rush off her throne and offer assistance. Twilight leaned up against her old teacher and, for a moment, felt like she was back in her care. She felt as though she were simply a student, bursting at the seams to learn everything Celestia had to teach her.
But those days had passed long ago. She was a princess now, and she was about to take the biggest step of her life. Her journey was only just beginning. One chapter of life was about to end, and the quill and ink she needed to write the next one was magically hovering over her horn. A part of her was very excited about this, but another part of her wanted to run away and hide from everything.
“Let’s talk, shall we?” Came Celestia’s kind voice. Twilight gave a tired and nervous nod, and Celestia escorted her out of the throne room and down the hall. When they got to a certain door, they sat down in front of it. “Do you recognize this?” She asked her former student.
Twilight nodded. “Of course I do! It’s the royal library!”
“Right, and do you know how many books you checked out of here while under my tutelage?”
“Too many to count,” Twilight said as she smiled sheepishly.
“4,526 to be exact,” Celestia said, “and you know…you got every one of them back to me on time. You were a fantastic student, Twilight. Nothing ever fazed you. You passed all my tests with flying colors, and you reiterated the importance of studious workmanship every time you turned in a homework assignment. If the gigantic task of being my student didn’t faze you, then why is this new task making you so nervous?”
Twilight’s eyes bugged out a bit. She couldn’t believe Celestia had asked her that! It’s not like I’m doing homework or taking a test, she told herself, this is ruling a nation we’re talking about!
She didn’t want to be disrespectful, so she chose her words carefully. “Um…no offense, Celestia, but…I think you’re comparing apples and oranges.”
“I am?”
“Well, yeah, I mean…taking one of your tests was easy. Ruling Equestria is so much different, and way harder!”
Celestia chuckled and Twilight started a bit. Did the princess find her trouble amusing? No! She said internally, Celestia would never laugh at me. Something else must be tickling her funny bone. “What’s so funny, Princess?” She asked.
“I’m laughing because, once again, I’ve been in your place before.”
“Like when I was deliberating on whether or not to send Starlight away?”
“Yes, exactly. When Star Swirl asked my sister and I to become princesses and rule Equestria, I was a nervous wreck. I felt lightheaded and dizzy just like you do. Equestria is a humongous responsibility, and I thought I would mess everything up. But I had a friend who put her confidence in me, and I was able to pass the test.”
“Luna?”
“That’s right. Before she became Nightmare Moon, Luna was my best friend and a pony I knew I could trust. I loved her with all my heart, and I still do. Sure, we have our spats and fights, but all sisters do. Our friendship has never been broken because of it. But she became a confidant to me, and I was all the better for it.”
“I know. Friendship is a wonderful thing, Celestia, and I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned and experienced in Ponyville. But, I did have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Why did you choose me to succeed you and Luna?”
Celestia didn’t answer, but beckoned Twilight to follow her. She ushered her confused fellow princess along the corridor until they reached a very special section of the palace. This section held the four great stained glass windows. One depicted Celestia raising the sun and banishing the dark, another depicted Luna raising the moon and holding authority over nightmares, a third depicted Cadance spreading love throughout the land, and the newest one depicted Twilight using The Elements of Harmony to weave new friendships together. The Princess of the Sun pointed to this fourth one. “That right there is why I chose you,” she said simply.
Twilight looked more than a little bewildered. She knew how important her position was in regards to friendship, but spreading that concept was easy. Ruling an entire kingdom was not. How in Equestria was she supposed to feel any sort of comfort from such an abrupt answer? In spite of all her best efforts, her face became contorted and she knew she must have looked rather stupid. She could only muster a small, “huh?”
Celestia chuckled again at the innocence Twilight displayed. “You see, Twilight, everything you’ve ever done has set your hooves on the path to becoming Equestria’s newest ruler. Yes, you had an incredible gift with magic when you became my student, but I noticed you struggled socially. I knew once you understood the magic of friendship, and how important it is to the vital everyday life of Equestria, you would be ready to take your place on my throne.”
Twilight smiled up at her friend. She always felt warmer when she was around Celestia, and this was no exception. She had always considered the kind princess to be a second mother. She didn’t know how many times she had come to her for advice, and been told exactly what she needed to hear. This was another one of those times.
But her nervousness was still raging. Even though Celestia’s words comforted her, her pony nature was still getting the best of her. She looked away as the burden continued weighing down on her shoulders. It was crushing her spirit, and she felt like weeping. “I…I can’t do it!” She cried, “how the hay could I ever take your place, Celestia?! You’re…you!”
“Exactly,” Celestia said as she put a compassionate hoof around Twilight, “and you’re you. We’re different, yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do what I can.”
“But you raise the sun! I could never hope to do that!”
“With a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it. You’ve never let anything or anypony beat you before, Twilight. Why stop now?”
“Because if I have to become the ruler of Equestria, then that means I’ll be leaving Ponyville and all my friends behind!”
“Not quite, Twilight. I have an idea…”
A Coronation of Friendship
The next day, everypony gathered for Twilight's ascension to the throne of Equestria. Her entire family was there, and they were all beaming. Her mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and a plethora of excited aunts, uncles, and cousins had all journeyed to Canterlot to see their "little filly" become the leader of an entire nation.
It was a day full of family pride and heavy emotion, but nopony emoted better than her mother. Her buckets of happy tears could have filled a river and then some. "My little filly," she said in happiness as the tears rolled. "Oh, Night Light, I'm so proud of her!"
"You and me both, sweetheart," her husband replied, "you and me both."
Backstage, Twilight was a nervous wreck. Her friend Rarity was attempting to fit her into her dress, but she just couldn't sit still. "Twilight, darling, if you continue moving about like that, I shall have to pin your hooves to the floor!"
"Sorry, Rarity," Twilight said sheepishly, "but I'm about to become the leader of Equestria! It's kind of a big deal and I don't know what to do and I'm super nervous and-"
She was quieted by a hoof to her mouth. "Relax, Twilight," the pretty white fashionista said soothingly, "it's all gonna be okay." Seeing that her calming words were doing nothing to help steady her friend's nerves, she decided to try a different approach. "Whenever I'm getting ready to have dresses modeled at a big fashion show, I tend to get these small panic attacks, too. So I've devised a method of deep breathing exercises that really help get my nerves under control. Maybe they can help you too, darling. Follow me. Breathe in…" They both took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. "…And breathe out," Rarity finished.
They did this exercise a few times and Twilight found that it did help calm her just a little. But the burden that Celestia and Luna had placed on her shoulders still weighed heavily. There had been numerous times since her talk with the Princess of the Day the previous afternoon that she had felt like she would have to bear it alone. But then she remembered Celestia's idea, and she felt warm all over again.
She finally settled enough for Rarity to finish preparing her. The fashion obsessed unicorn stepped back and looked at her handiwork. "Let me look at you," she said before her jaw dropped. She thought she had never seen a more ravishing sight. Twilight looked, for all intents and purposes, absolutely stunning. She was wearing an updated version of the gold dress Rarity had made for her first coronation. Now it was overlaid with an extensive amount of purple. Shimmering stars dotted the outsides of it. Her mane had been done exquisitely, and her teeth flashed when she smiled.
"You are ready, Twilight!" Rarity said in excitement. She couldn't wait for Twilight to become the ruler of Equestria, mainly because it would mean more trips to Canterlot for her. She loved the grand city, and wished with all her heart that she might reside there someday. But for now, she was happy with the small boutique she ran in the town. She was also deeply honored to have designed and made a dress for somepony so special.
Before she could stop herself, she ran and gave Twilight a sincere hug. "I know I don't need to tell you this," she said, "but…I cherish our friendship, Twilight."
The Princess of Friendship happily returned the embrace. "I cherish it too, Rarity. But you're saying that like this is goodbye forever." Rarity sniffed as tears came. "I know it isn't goodbye forever, darling, but…we sure will miss you around Ponyville." Twilight had to force herself to keep Celestia's idea a surprise, but warmly smiled and acknowledged Rarity's words. With that, her friend pointed the way towards the staging area and Twilight marched over and stood at the head of a group of soldiers and singers.
At the sound of booming trumpets, Celestia began the ceremony. Cadance and Luna stood beside her, and Twilight's sister-in-law was absolutely bursting at the seams with pride and joy. The raiser of the sun stomped her hoof and the hall fell silent. "Friends, neighbors, family members, and fellow citizens of Equestria. Welcome to this momentous occasion. In the history of Equestria, we have only had two ruling princesses: myself and Luna. Cadance is a princess in her own right, but she rules The Crystal Empire, which is technically its own nation. We harbor a deep friendship and trust with the Empire, so she is allowed to stand on this dais with us today.
My sister and I have ruled this land for nearly 4,000 years. We hope we have left behind a legacy of love, compassion, and friendship. We also hope that the fires of bravery, courage, and resistance in the face of evil have burned brightly during our reign. But now it is time for us to move on, and leave Equestria in very capable hooves. It is time for a third ruler to join our pantheon. Mares and Gentle Colts, citizens of Equestria, I give you The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle!"
At this, the double doors at the back were thrown open and Twilight marched in with her entourage. The singers belted out the same hymn that had been sung at her first coronation, and she couldn't help but notice her mother bawling her eyes out. She warmly smiled at her parents as she went by, and they graciously returned the gesture. Her entourage split and went down two separate rows as she made her way to stand before Celestia. She noticed a gleam of sheer joy in her former teacher's eye.
"On this day, I hereby abdicate my position as ruler of Equestria to somepony very deserving of the job. My sister abdicates as well. For the first time ever, Equestria shall have only one ruler. My dear Twilight, do you accept the position laid out before you? Do you promise to defend Equestria and its constitution against every enemy that shall come against you? Do you swear to protect friendship as the core tenet of our nation?"
"I do," Twilight said sincerely.
"Then by the powers vested in me by Star Swirl the Bearded, I hereby grant you the title of Princess Amicus Usque in Sempiternum. Your new title means "the princess of friends who are forever" in Pony Latin. You show friendship, you exude it. I'm very proud to grant you this title and all the power that goes with it."
With that, Celestia and Luna stepped together and breathed magic over Twilight. Instantly, Twilight felt a mixture of emotions. She felt the soothing warmth of friends. She felt the care of a mother. She also felt the pain of letting something you love go, and the fierceness and bloodshed of battle. She felt the blaze of the sun and the coolness of the moon. In one instant, she saw an entire country under her control.
When she came down, she noticed that, while she wasn't tall like Celestia or Luna, her mane and tail were perpetually flowing. The stars sparkled in them, and they shimmered in the morning light. She smiled up at Celestia, but then backed up a bit. Celestia and Luna had shrunk to her size! They no longer had wings! They were simple unicorns. Celestia's mane and tail were a bright, beautiful pink. Luna's held a mysterious blue. The things that hadn't changed were their cutie marks. Those were forever. Celestia walked up to Twilight and smiled.
"Everypony, you may notice that my sister and I have changed drastically. That's because we were fillies when we were crowned. Twilight is a full grown mare. She has no need to grow any further in physical size. But she will always be growing mentally. She now has the power to raise both the sun and the moon. In my last official act as ruler of Equestria, I hereby bestow both my crown and my sister's upon Twilight's head. This signifies the unity of the day and the night, and the official beginning of Princess Amicus's reign over Equestria!"
With a smile, she sat the royal gems on Twilight's brow and the entire hall erupted in cheers and applause. Twilight smiled down at her family, who couldn't stop jumping up and down in excitement. She turned to her friends, who stood beside her, and saw that everypony, even Rainbow Dash, was crying with delight.
She waved her hoof and instantly the hall became silent. "Thank you, Celestia. I would like to congratulate you on your retirement. May the rest of your years be as happy as these first few thousand have been." This earned a chuckle from the audience, as they all knew that Celestia and Luna were no longer as long in the tooth as they were before.
Twilight turned to the crowd once again. "There are so many ponies I need to thank for my place up here before you. It would take too long to name them all, but just know that I love each one of you. However, there are six in particular that I would like to bestow special honors upon. Celestia, will you help me?"
Celestia bowed in respect to the new ruler and went and used her magic to float a small bundle over to where they were. She set it down and opened it up to reveal six medals. Twilight smirked. She had a special surprise for the sixth pony.
"Applejack, please step forward." Applejack, with a look of surprise, came and bowed before Twilight. "You have displayed the honest spirit of a true friend. I am honored to be able to call you that and, as my first act as ruler of Equestria, I want to invite you to sit on my new advisory board as Equestria's first ambassador for honesty. I would also like to invite you to move and live in Canterlot." Applejack looked totally shocked, but then smiled widely, graciously accepted her orange medal, and returned to stand with the others.
"Rainbow Dash, please step forward." So Dash did and Celestia prepared her multicolored medal. "Rainbow, you have been an integral part of my life for a long time now. Your loyalty and determination are unmatched in our nation. I would like to also invite you to sit on my advisory board as Equestria's first ambassador for loyalty. This also comes with an invitation to live in Canterlot." Dash's smile widened as Twilight's words went on and she took her medal and fairly flew back to her friends.
"Next, Rarity." The fashionista came forward and offered an eloquent bow. Twilight returned it and Celestia floated a bright blue medal in the air. "Rarity, you are a kind, generous soul who would bend over backwards if it meant helping somepony out. You exude a selfless spirit, and that's what I want on my board. If you accept this, you will be the Equestrian ambassador for generosity. You would also be the official royal fashion designer. I'd also like to invite you to-"
"YES! YES!" Rarity suddenly burst out. Her dream of living in Canterlot had finally come true. But she realized she was making a bit of a fool of herself, and she backed away sheepishly. All Twilight did was laugh at how excited her friend was, and this was followed by laughter of all kinds in the hall. Rarity blushed a bit as she went to sit with her friends.
Twilight finished chuckling and then called Fluttershy to the front. "Fluttershy, you are kindness incarnate. I have seen you overcome so many obstacles with a kind word or a simple gesture. I want you on my board as Equestria's ambassador for kindness. You too, would live in Canterlot." Fluttershy accepted her yellow medal, but she was shaking a bit. After all, she had never been an ambassador before. But she knew she would do anything for her friends, and she felt honored that Twilight was entrusting this position to her.
"Pinkie Pie, please step forward." Pinkie bounced over to Twilight and stood in utter admiration of her friend. She couldn't believe she was personal friends with the ruler of Equestria! "Pinkie, your smile is exuberant. Your laughter is infectious. Now, I want you to spread that laughter throughout the world, not only as the new royal party planner, but as the official Equestrian ambassador for laughter, parties, and all things related to them." Pinkie burst at the seams as she received her pink medal. She bounced back over to her friends and they all shared hushed exclamations of excitement.
"Last, but certainly not least, my school's guidance counselor, Starlight Glimmer." Starlight smiled and walked over to Twilight. She bowed and Twilight bowed back. "My dearest Starlight, you and I have been through thick and thin together. From our battles as enemies to fighting side by side to protect our land, I know there's nopony else like you out there. That's why I am honored and thrilled to bestow the following title on you: Princess Starlight Glimmer."
Starlight looked absolutely shocked as the hall filled with cheers. They began chanting Starlight's name in respect and admiration. "Me? A…princess?" She asked in disbelief. Twilight smiled, nodded, and shot Starlight with a magic blast. Immediately, Starlight grew a beautiful new pair of wings. She looked at them and a smile burst over her face.
Twilight called for quiet and continued. "I can think of nopony else I want running the friendship school in Ponyville. You, Starlight, are the new Princess of Friendship!" Starlight, in shock but humbly accepting of the position, turned and spread her wings along with Twilight. Celestia and Luna stomped their hooves in applause and Cadance stepped forward and hugged both of them.
With this coronation, a long era of peace and happiness began for Equestria. Twilight ruled with kindness, justice, bravery, friendship, and dedication for thousands of years. Starlight and Cadance did the same, and if you were to walk up to anypony on the street and ask them about Twilight's reign, they would say that it was the friendliest time in Equestrian history.
