While it was true that Celestia and Luna had retired from ruling Equestria and all that went with that, that did not mean that they didn't keep up with all the news coming out of Canterlot.

Celestia was the first to admit that she had never been more proud of Twilight and all she and her friends had done for Equestria. While Twilight ultimately had the final say, the Council of Friendship had done far better than either her or Luna had thought it might.

Twilight also made it a point to keep them up to date during her visits to the sisters. She had grown much in the intervening years, but somethings seemed to never change.

Most visits were friendly of course, and Twilight had grown more confident in her ability to talk to Celestia and Luna not as princesses or even equals but as friends.

Some visits were, of course, her needing their guidance and assistance, and just doing it through a letter didn't feel right. Celestia and Luna did their best, but as they had told Twilight several times now, one day she would need to stop asking them and rule on her own without any of their advice or wisdom.

Not that they had any plans of dying of course. Alicorns couldn't die unless a massive amount of magic was used against them, and even then it couldn't be done on purpose.

Today though, Celestia was rather surprised by what her former student was talking about. She hummed as she set her teacup down. "I see then. Your student has finally asked the question then?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes. I always wondered if she would after she moved to Ponyville. I know she's spoken with Starlight, and who knows what Sunset taught her while she was growing up. I just didn't expect it to hurt so much."

Celestia chuckled. "It's hard to believe Luster is Sunset's daughter. She sounds so much like a unicorn student of mind that seemed to think that friendship was a waste of time as well."

"Hehe," Twilight chuckled sheepishly as her eyes darted about, looking at anything but her mentor. "But, yes. I asked Sunset about it. She and Flash don't know where their daughter could have gotten those ideas. Sunset hasn't been like that in years, and Flash never was."

Celestia nodded, putting her hoof over Twilights. "Some children are like that, no matter what their parents do. But that leads me back to why you are here."

Twilight sighed, slumping in her chair. "I don't know if I'm doing the right thing though. This is going against over a thousand years of tradition. This is your legacy I'm messing with."

Celestia shook her head. "Twilight. My legacy is right in front of me. You and Sunset, your friends, and everything you've done will last longer than some silly old school. Never doubt that I am not immensely proud of everything you have all done."

She sighed. "And as you know, the School for Gifted Unicorns was founded to help find the next Element of Magic. Oh, that was never said anywhere, nor did most ever know that. But it is the truth."

Twilight nodded. She had been shocked to finally hear the truth about the school. But a part of her was not completely surprised to hear it either. Neither had Sunset. What might have been had Sunset stayed and been the one to bond to Magic, would never be known. "I know. And since I'm not going anywhere, Magic is still connected to me. Gallus might have once wielded it, but that was temporary. I can still feel the bond."

Celestia nodded, eyeing the griffon in question who was doing his best to not look like he was eavesdropping on them. It might have even worked too if Celestia hadn't seen it all before. "Then what are worried about, Twilight? Surely Neighsay doesn't have anything against this?"

Twilight chuckled. "No. He was actually the first to say he was glad I was doing this. No law ever said I had to only choose a unicorn as a student. All of my friends are behind it too. Heck, all of Ponyville is behind the idea."

Celestia nodded, sensing there was more to it than that. "But you're still not fully convinced that this is the right thing to do?"

Twilight sighed, as she plopped her head on the table before the two of them. "This is overturning over a thousand years of tradition. It's going to upset a lot of ponies, even though I'm not excluding unicorns from the school."

Celestia sighed, taking another sip of her tea. "Twilight. If there is one thing that I have learned in my long life, it is that you cannot possibly please everypony. It is simply impossible. The Woke and Politically Correct ponies tried to do that, and they barely lasted a year because of it. Yes, ponies will be upset, there is nothing you can about that."

She took Twilight's hoof in her own and smiled her best teaching smile. "But I have also learned that while some will be upset and mad at you, far more will stand with you because they believe in what you are trying to do. You and your friends have shown them that. The acceptance and growth of the School of Friendship is a perfect case of that very thing."

Celestia's smile grew as something came to mind. "Do you remember the Fall Formal, where you ran against Sunset?"

Twilight chuckled, rolling her eyes as she lifted her head. "How can I forget? I don't think I'll ever forget those three days."

Celestia nodded. "Then you remember how all of Canterlot High stood with you that night? Someone they still only barely knew. Yet they stood with you, because they believed in you and what you stood for. You could have easily taken your crown back and returned to Equestria, or any number of things. But you did not. Because you are not the type of pony to do the easy way out."

Twilight giggled. It was true. Only Applejack refused to take the easy way more than she did. "So you think that I'm doing the right thing, then?"

Celestia nodded. "You don't need my permission to do anything anymore, Twilight. You haven't needed it for a long time. Ponies will complain. But I've learned those that refuse to accept change are those that are not worth listening to in the first place."

They both giggled, as Twilight wiped her eyes. "I thought you weren't my teacher anymore, Celestia? Yet you've been teaching me since I got here."

Celestia smirked. "I guess somethings I never forget. Teaching young ponies is one of those I suppose."

Their laughter lasted long into the night.

Author's Note

So I thought this deserved a bit more. Plus it felt weird to leave out Celestia's reaction to Twilight's choice moving forward with her Faithful Students. So here it is.

I admit the idea that alicorns can only be killed by an accidental blast of a massive amount of magic is based in part on something SamSwordsman123 wrote somewhere.

So now, Twilight can't kill herself. Nor can she have another alicorn kill her. It wouldn't work. Hence why she survived Cozy's blast in Season 9's finale.