Twilight Sparkle stood on the balcony outside her royal chambers of Canterlot Castle, looking out over the land of Equestria with a heavy heart. Tears stained her face as her mane flowed in the air even though the wind was quiet and still. She pondered how everything could have gone so wrong over the years.
Since her coronation many years ago, the three pony races began fearing each other. Two of the races feared the unicorns for their magical abilities, while the others feared pegasi for being able to swoop you away without a trace, and the earth ponies were believed to be brutes with tiny brains.
How did these rumors begin? Where were they coming from?
Despite being a very educated alicorn and the princess of Equestria, Twilight could not understand why her subjects feared each other so much, especially after she lived in a time when all three races got along so well with each other and the other races of Equestria.
Twilight sighed as she turned away from the balcony to return to her chambers as she used her magic to remove her crown from her head. She placed the crown on a mannequin head on her dressing table as she sat down before a knock came from the door.
"Enter?" Twilight called. The door opened, and a unicorn guard stepped in with his head held high.
"Your highness, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Flurry Heart are here to see you," the guard announced.
"Thank you, sir," Twilight replied. The guard stepped to the side to allow the four alicorns to enter Twilight's chambers, each offering Twilight a smile as they entered.
"Hello, Twilight," Cadence offered as she walked right up to Twilight and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
"Hello, Cady," Twilight replied.
"It's been a long time, Twilight," Celestia offered as she pulled Twilight into a warm hug, which Twilight returned happily.
"And it's always wonderful to see you, Celestia," Twilight replied.
"Twilight," Luna said.
"Luna, how long have we known each other?" Twilight asked with a smile. Luna relented before giving Twilight a tight hug.
"Sometimes, it feels not long enough," Luna said before planting a kiss on Twilight's cheek. When Luna finished hugging Twilight, Flurry rushed up and tackle-hugged Twilight to the floor, earning a laugh from her aunt.
"I'm so glad to see you, Aunty!" Flurry exclaimed.
"I'm happy to see you too, Flurry," Twilight said as she smiled at Flurry.
"Come on, sweetie," Cadence said as she used her magic to lift Flurry off of Twilight. "Let your aunt up."
Twilight pulled herself off the floor as she smiled. "It's okay, Cady," Twilight reassured.
"What's this about, Twilight?" Celestia asked as she stood next to Luna. Twilight sighed as she picked up her chair with her magic and sat on it to look at her fellow alicorns.
"Did you bring the Crystals of Unity?" Twilight asked. Cadence stepped up first as she pulled a clear crystal in the shape of a circle. Celestia and Luna stepped up with a teal crystal that resembled that of pegasus wings.
"Why do you want these?" Luna asked. Twilight pulled out a blue crystal in the form of a unicorn horn.
"All my subjects fear each other," Twilight began as she took the other two crystals. "I've done my best to keep the unity strong, but it's all been in vain."
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Flurry observed confidently.
"Sweetie, Canterlot is now exclusively dominated by the unicorns," Twilight explained as she looked at her niece.
"I have noticed how many areas are dominated by the earth ponies," Luna observed. "They show only fear whenever I approach."
"And the pegasi have taken residence in the mountains," Cadence added. "Zephyr Heights seems to be their favorite city."
"That's my point," Twilight stated. "All three races have abandoned friendship and unity because they fear each other." Twilight sighed as she placed the three crystals on the table in front of her. All three of them seemed to fit together like a puzzle. "I've done all I can to end this irrational fear, but nothing I try works. I'm out of ideas and options." Cadence stepped up and rested a hoof on Twilight's back.
"Whatever you decide to do, Twilight, I'll support you to the end," the former princess of love warmly offered. Twilight reached back and placed her hoof on Cadence's.
"That's just it," Twilight sighed. "We can't be together anymore." Twilight looked at the other alicorns as they all gasped in unison. Twilight looked at Celestia and Luna. "I'm sorry, but not even you two can be together anymore. At least, not as alicorns anymore."
"Out of the question!" Luna barked as she stomped a hoof. "I spent a thousand years away from my sister! We may have our differences, but I will not suffer another fate without her again!" Celestia placed a hood on Luna's shoulder, getting her younger sister to look at her.
"Calm down, Luna," Celestia softly said.
"But," Luna began before Celestia shook her head. Luna huffed as she looked away before Celestia turned to Twilight.
"What is your plan, Twilight?" Celestia asked. Twilight turned on her seat to face her former mentor.
"It pains me to say this, but," Twilight began as she took a breath. "We have to get rid of magic." Flurry blinked as she looked at her aunt.
"What?!" Flurry cried. "No more magic?! How can we survive without it?!"
"Flurry," Twilight began.
"I can't do anything without magic!" Flurry continued. "I can't fly, put on a dress, or brush my hair! I can't even rule the Crystal Empire without magic!"
"Flurry!" Twilight barked, getting the youngest alicorn to freeze in place at Twilight's fury. "I understand how you feel." Twilight got up and walked over to Flurry. "I really do."
"Flurry does have a point," Celestia observed. "Magic is what keeps this world moving. The sun, the moon, the weather. How can the world function without magic?"
"This is why we can't be together anymore," Twilight answered as she looked at Celestia. "We're the only ones who can have magic. All other ponies can't."
"I don't understand," Luna said as she watched Twilight. "You mean to take away the ponies' magic? All of it?" Twilight nodded.
"The pony races are terrified of the others using their magic to attack them," Twilight explained. "They fear the unicorns will fry their brains, or the pegasi will swoop them into the skies."
"How can they believe such things?" Celestia asked. "Ponies have been living in harmony for thousands of years without fear of the others."
"I don't know how or why these rumors got started," Twilight explained. "But they all believe these rumors to be true. If it keeps up, I'm afraid the windigos will return."
"The windigos only appear when the ponies hate and fight amongst each other," Luna observed.
"And what happens if it comes to that?" Twilight countered. The four alicorns looked at each other as they pondered Twilight's observation. "If they don't have magic, they won't be compelled to take preemptive action against each other, and the windigos won't have the power to return."
"But, that still doesn't answer how the world will function," Luna observed.
"We are the only ones who can keep our magic," Twilight answered. "The non-pony races have returned to their homelands. All that's left in Equestria are the ponies. We'll have to use our magic to ensure they don't return and to keep the world functioning. We won't be able to see each other anymore."
"Twilight, I don't know if I can agree to this," Cadence piped up as she walked toward Twilight. "To never see you again would tear me apart." Twilight took Cadence's hoof in hers.
"I don't want to be without you either, Cady," Twilight replied. "But our duty as alicorns is to the ponies before ourselves."
"I've already told you, I'm not going to suffer another period without my sister," Luna stated firmly.
"Luna," Celestia began as she walked toward her younger sister.
"No!" Luna countered. "It's not our responsibility! We retired our crowns to Twilight centuries ago!"
"Luna, we always knew there might be a time Equestria would need us again," Celestia said as she took her sister's hoof. "It appears that now is that time." Luna looked into Celestia's eyes as hers began to water up.
"I don't want to lose you again," Luna said.
"It won't be forever," Twilight piped up. Luna looked at Twilight.
"How long?" Luna asked. "A decade? A century?"
"I don't know," Twilight answered as she hung her head. "It won't be up to me. It all depends on the ponies."
"That could take countless moons!" Luna countered.
"You don't think I know that?" Twilight replied. "Luna, do you honestly believe this is easy for me? I've exhausted all my options!"
"There has to be something else!" Luna protested.
"Luna, Celestia let me grow on my own for years," Twilight observed. "I know it wasn't easy for her to let me go, just as it wasn't easy for me to let Starlight go. It especially wasn't easy for me to leave my home in Ponyville after so long with my friends." Twilight teared up at the memory of the friends she made in Ponyville so many years ago before Cadence wrapped a wing around her back. Luna watched Twilight as her tears stained her cheeks. After a minute, Twilight wiped away her tears to look at the other alicorns. "I don't know how long this will last. I don't know if we'll survive. All I know is it's now up to the ponies to restore the peace." Cadence nuzzled Twilight's cheek as she held her close.
"I don't like this idea, but I'll support this decision however I can," Cadence reassured Twilight. Flurry stepped up and tenderly hugged Twilight.
"What about the empire?" Flurry asked.
"It'll have to be hidden away again," Twilight answered. "All routes to the empire must be cut off, and everyone must forget about it. At least until they discover it on their own."
"I assume Flurry will have to continue to rule there on her own?" Cadence observed, making Flurry blink at the suggestion.
"I'm afraid so," Twilight said as she hung her head. "Flurry will lead the Crystal Empire in solitude while we maintain the four corners of Equestria."
"It won't be easy for us to maintain the world on our own, Twilight," Celestia observed.
"I know," Twilight replied.
"I understand why we have to do this now, but must we stay away from each other?" Luna observed.
"Think about it, Luna," Twilight answered. "Together, we can attract unwanted attention. Apart, we'll be harder to find."
"And what about the crystals?" Flurry asked as she looked at the three crystals on Twilight's dressing desk.
"Those will hold the magic of Equestria," Twilight answered as she walked to her desk. "All the magic will be locked away within these three crystals."
"How will the ponies release the magic?" Luna asked. Twilight picked up the three crystals in her magic.
"They'll have to bring themselves together," Twilight explained. "As long as they live in fear and distrust, the magic will be gone. However, if they choose friendship and reunite themselves, the magic will be restored to them." Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Flurry all watched Twilight as she explained her plan.
"So, we leave the ponies to learn and grow on their own?" Celestia asked.
"As you did for me," Twilight replied. Celestia smiled at her former student.
"I sometimes forget how much you've grown from that little unicorn I once knew," Celestia observed before walking up and planting a kiss on Twilight's forehead. Twilight smiled at her former mentor.
After a few minutes of warm hugs and comforting silence, Twilight took the crystals in her magic. "I'll take these to the tree of Harmony while you four go out and keep Equestria and the Empire safe," Twilight said. "This isn't "goodbye;" it's just a new beginning."
~~)oOo(~~
Deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest, Twilight landed in the canyon where she found the base of the Tree Of Harmony. She approached the tree and gazed at its magnificence. The tree's base showed many signs of attempts to destroy it or use it for dark purposes. Despite the millennia of standing in the same place, the tree stood strong and proud. Its magic served and protected Equestria from evil magic, but now Twilight would use it to take the magic away.
Twilight placed the three crystals on the ground next to the tree before looking up. "The ponies fear each other," Twilight began. "I hope that a time without magic, they will learn they don't have anything to fear." Twilight looked at the tree of Harmony. "When the ponies and these three crystals are reunited, only then may the magic be restored to Equestria."
The tree began to glow brightly, and the three crystals levitated off the ground. Twilight watched the crystals as streams of light of every color began to fly into them. The wind blew around Twilight as the tree pulsed with magic for several seconds. Finally, the crystals flew out of the cave and scattered in three different directions. Twilight stared at the cave entrance silently before looking at the tree.
"Harmony," Twilight began. "The other alicorns and I will do everything we can to keep Equestria safe and strong. I only pray you'll continue to do the same, but within the shadows. No one can know of your existence." A root extended to Twilight and caressed her cheek before a flash of light engulfed her. She blinked and looked around to find she was outside the ruins on the surface. She took a breath as she closed her eyes. "May this new age bring harmony back to Equestria."
