"It is with great pleasure that I present the new princess of Equestria: Princess Terra!"

Cheers erupted throughout the mostly-pegasus crowd as they stomped their hooves and leaped up in delight. Terra, meanwhile, couldn't help but blush.

"Aww!" Izzy poked her. "Look at you, silly! You're blushing!"

"I...well..." Terra chuckled. "This is all just a little overwhelming, is all. It has been a long time since I have attended a coronation."

"Well, this is yours! So go on, say a few words! Wow the crowd!"

Terra smiled. She cleared her throat as she gazed at the pegasi below. Truly, being in Zephyr Heights felt like she was back in Canterlot again, only this time, she wasn't looking up at Princess Twilight -- Twilight would be looking up at her. Thinking about that made her heart hurt, but she pressed on.

"Hello, everypony. My name is Terra." She paused. "I am the one who is responsible for raising Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow into the alicorns you see today. I am also the one who, in a sense, succeeded Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ancient Equestria. After her death, I froze myself in the hopes of seeing an Equestria not ruled by misery and strife, but by harmony and peace. Unfortunately, when I emerged, my hopes were dashed." She swept a hoof across the five ponies behind her. "But with the combined efforts of Princesses Sunny and Izzy, of Zipp Storm, Pipp Petals, and Hitch Trailblazer, harmony has been brought back to Equestria, breathing new life into it. And in addition, so, too, has magic been restored."

That got cheers that threatened to knock a flock of birds out of the sky. Terra listened with open ears, letting the cheers empower her.

"As your new princess, my first decree is to declare the borders of Bridlewood, Zephyr Heights, and Maretime Bay open. This means unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies from all three cities are more than welcome, and even encouraged, to mingle with each other, learn from each other, and befriend one another." Terra smiled. "By doing this, the bonds of unity can be strengthened.

"As for my second decree..." She waved her hoof. "Sunny, Izzy, please come forward."

Both alicorns exchanged looks of surprise and confusion as they obeyed, flanking Terra on both sides.

"I am not the only new princess of Equestria." The crowd began to mutter. "Sunny and Izzy, once a respective earth pony and unicorn, were transformed into alicorns by a magical artifact and were granted the abilities to raise and lower the sun and the moon, just as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna did in the age of Ancient Equestria." Terra smiled. "I trust that Sunny and Izzy will succeed the princesses in more ways than one. Thus, I am honored to crown them Princess Sunny Starscout, Princess of the Sun, and Princess Izzy Moonbow, Princess of the Moon."

Izzy looked about ready to shoot up into the air. Sunny's jaw dropped, her eyes darting through the roaring crowd as she tapped herself in the leg to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

When the noise died down, Terra cleared her throat and continued. "There shall be a coronation party held inside the castle as celebration. All are welcome to attend. Thank you."

With Pipp, Hitch, and Zipp cheering them on, Sunny and Izzy wrapped each other in a warm joyous embrace, squealing in delight and bobbing up and down. It wasn't until they saw Terra turning around and approaching them that they broke free.

"My congratulations."

"Thank you!" That was as far as Izzy got into being coherent, as she raced around Terra and began to delve into excited gibberish.

"I, um...l-likewise." Sunny wiped a few stray happy tears away. "But why...?"

"There are still quite a lot of mysteries out there to solve, the least of which concerns the artifact that made you alicorns to begin with." Terra explained. "I believe it simply was playing along with your destinies to succeed the princesses of Ancient Equestria, but that is my opinion and my opinion alone. The truth..." She trailed off as she looked out towards the crowd, before sighing and fixing her gaze on Sunny and Izzy once more. "You will all find out the truth, I am sure."

"Aw yeah, another adventure!" Izzy cheered, hopping up and down excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"Maaaaybe we should let things calm down a little before we rush into another adventure." Hitch advised. "I know I could use a vacation before the next threat comes."

Zipp eyed him curiously. "Normally I'd disagree...but you make a good point." She let her gaze move to Terra. "Guess you're gonna need help with that coronation party, huh, Your Majesty?"

"Zipp, please. Calling me 'Terra' is just fine." Terra said. "But yes, I would appreciate help with setting up the party. Could you and Pipp get on that?"

"Absolutely!" Pipp said. "I'm already planning ideas for it as we speak. Oh, and your manes and tails!" She rushed to Sunny's and Izzy's sides, lightly tousling their manes. "You will look faaaabuuuuloooous by the time I'm done."

Sunny giggled. "I'm sure. Thanks, Pipp. And you too, Zipp."

"Eh, it's no problem." Zipp pointed a hoof at her sister. "Pipp's more party-oriented than I am, so I think I'll let her spearhead it."

Terra moved her attention to Hitch. "Hitch?"

"Yes?"

"I would like you to return to Maretime Bay for the time being. After all, someone has to keep an eye on it."

Hitch nodded eagerly. "Of course, Your Ma- uh, Terra."

With duties assigned, Terra turned back to the crowd of ponies, who were talking excitedly amongst themselves. A smile formed on her face as she began thinking of the future and what it held, though she tried not to focus on the negative parts of it as she wanted to live in the moment and get through the coronation party first.

Goodness, there really is so much to do. But life will move forward, and things will be okay. As long as Sunny, Izzy, and I lead, the world shall remain united.

As the days and weeks passed, society began to heal and change in numerous ways.

Zephyr Heights's pegasi had been slowly learning how to fly with help from Zipp and Pipp, and the number of in-flight accidents and hospital stays were being reduced. There was still lots of work to be done, but many pegasi were now able to fly freely, which helped in getting around. The two formerly-royal sisters also vowed to give out phones to residents of both Bridlewood and Maretime Bay for easier communication.

Bridlewood's residents were making active efforts to be friendlier with each other. Fillies and colts began playing together, while mares and colts alike were making anywhere from small talk to conversation about more serious things. Having the phones definitely helped, though even with the built-in tutorial, it was hard for some to use them effectively.

Phyllis hadn't returned to Maretime Bay since that day. Still, it didn't stop Hitch from making sure the town was safe and protected from any other threats, including those that resulted from the earth ponies' haywire magic. Sunny and Izzy were working together to help them hone their magic, but it was frustratingly slow-going, and it was clear it would take at least a few months or so before they could be on par with the pegasi and the unicorns.

On a day where it seemed like things had calmed down somewhat, the group all gathered at Terra's house for an important meeting.

"Now." Terra took a sip of her tea. "As I am sure you are all aware...or perhaps, just Sunny..." She ignored Sunny's quizzical head-tilt. "The Elements of Harmony played a large role in maintaining peace among Equestria. One of its Bearers, the Bearer of Magic, was Princess Twilight."

"Oh yeah! The other Bearers were Rainbow Dash for Loyalty, Fluttershy for Kindness, Pinkie Pie for Laughter, Rarity for Generosity, and Applejack for Honesty." Sunny explained, her hooves tapping excitedly on the wooden floor. "They were national heroes! My dad had so many books on them!"

"Really? That's so cool!" Izzy exclaimed.

Terra, wanting to steer the conversation back to the topic at hoof, cleared her throat and continued before Izzy or anyone else could get going. "Unfortunately, I do not know what became of the Elements of Harmony, as I had been busy traveling the world. They could be worn down, destroyed, or in the best-case scenario, given to new Bearers." She took a moment's pause, wondering just who the new Bearers could be. "I believe that you five could wield the Elements of Harmony, whether they are the ones from Ancient Equestria, or new ones that have been found."

Sunny and Izzy were naturally excited and began vibrating in their seats. Zipp, however, raised a hoof. "Hold on. You said there were six Bearers, right? But there are only five of us."

"That is true. But the sixth Bearer must be out there somewhere. And as your princess, I would like to assign you all the task of finding that sixth Bearer."

"But what do we need the Elements for when we have the Unity Crystals?" Hitch asked.

Terra paused. It was a reasonable question, and for a moment she wondered if she was being too hasty. Still, as she was speaking from opinion and what she knew of Ancient Equestrian history, she felt confident enough to provide a solid answer. "The Unity Crystals helped to keep enemies from attacking Equestria. When the Bearers became too old to face down enemies themselves, the Unity Crystals took that burden off of their shoulders." she explained. "While the Crystals do help to maintain magic in the present day, it would not hurt to have Bearers of Harmony for particularly tricky enemies."

"Like Phyllis?"

A nod. "She does not appear to be a threat at the moment, but I feel we should keep a lookout."

Hitch gave his own nod of agreement, while Pipp tapped her chin. "I guess I can go on another adventure. It would make great livestreaming content!"

Zipp looked at her sister with an expression of amusement. "That doesn't really sound like you."

"Uh, hello? Did you not hear me when I said it would make for great livestreaming content?" Pipp repeated. "The world is open to me! I can show ponies the wonders of the world!" She blinked. "Oh! And open my salon."

"That reminds me." Terra said. "How is that coming along?"

A shaky sigh. "It's harder than I thought. But we're almost ready to open! Just need to put a few more finishing touches." Pipp looked off to the side in thought. "I'm thinking of going with 'Mane Melody' as a name."

Terra nodded. "That is a lovely name. I wish you the best of luck." Her hoof swept across the rest of the group. "Do not be afraid to ask for help from your friends, however."

"Oh, of course!" Sunny chirped. "We're more than happy to help."

Amidst a chorus of agreements, Pipp placed a hoof on her heart and gave a firm nod of thanks.

"Well, guess we got a lot of work to do, huh?" Izzy stood up. "I dunno about you guys, but as long as we're together, we can do anything!"

"Cliche."

"Whaaaaaaat?" Izzy stared at Zipp. "It's true! C'mon, let's go back to the Brighthouse and study up on those Elements of Harmony! Oh, oh, and that artifact that made us alicorns too! Ha, I almost forgot about that! See ya!"

"Izzy, I-"

Terra didn't get to finish her sentence, as Izzy was already racing out the door. A quick peek out the window would show her taking flight towards Maretime Bay.

Sunny gave an awkward chuckle. "Well...she does raise a good point. Who knows what's going to happen next?" She rose to her hooves. "So unless if you have anything else to say, Terra..."

"I..." Terra blinked. "No, I suppose I don't."

"Don't forget, we can always call you if you need anything! Or you can call us!"

Terra's eyes moved to the phone that sat on the coffee table. It hadn't been so much as turned on since she received it, as, despite it containing a manual, she was unfamiliar with the technology and didn't want to break it. "Um, about that, Pipp..." she said. "Would you mind staying behind and teaching me how to use this?"

Pipp gave a sharp dramatic inhale. "You mean you haven't...but it's been-"

"A few weeks, yes, I am aware. But Ancient Equestria did not have the same technology as you do today. I do not wish to break the gift that you have so generously given me."

"Pfft, Terra. come on. I have tons of phones! You breaking one isn't gonna mean anything in the long run." Pipp gave a sigh. "But if you really want me to teach you, then fine. You do know it has a manual, right?"

"Inside of the phone, yes. Which does seem like a rather glaring inconvenience."

"Hm. Fair point."

Zipp raised a hoof. "I'm glad to help out too, if you want."

Terra gave a grateful nod.

"We should probably get going." Sunny and Hitch made their way towards the door. "I have to make sure Izzy doesn't, uh...get into any trouble."

"And I have to return to the station."

"Yes, of course. Once I figure out how this phone works, I will be sure to call you if I wish to schedule another meeting."

Sunny and Hitch slipped out the door, leaving Terra alone with Pipp and Zipp as she began to struggle with how to use the phone despite the sisters' lay-stallion instructions. It didn't help that the thought of future threats began to circle in her mind, and a nagging feeling began to squirm around in her gut as though there was something she neglected to tell the group.

Deep in the belly of the beast that was an abandoned castle plagued by constant dark weather overhead, three ponies sat around a reflective pool. The oldest one, an alicorn mare with fur of a dark purple color, glared at the water as it showed an image of a city at peace. The other two mares, one filled with confidence and one not, flanked her as they stared at the pool.

"I knew it!" the alicorn roared. "We should have stopped those Sun and Moon Princesses while we still had a chance! Now look!"

One of the mares, with light pink fur and a curly blue mane, rolled her eyes. "That's what happens when you play the long game, Opaline."

Opaline raised a hoof and stomped it, creating a resounding sound that made the other mare shrink back with a yelp. "And just who advised me to play the long game in the first place?"

"I didn't, if that's what you're implying." the pink-furred mare said, blinking innocently. "Maybe it was Misty!"

"N-n-no! I-It wasn't me! I swear!"

Opaline glared at the pair, her eyes darting between both of them. Finally, after a long period of silence, she sighed. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. The point is, we lost a chance." She smirked. "But that's all right. It's not our only chance. We simply need to devise a new plan."

"Ooh! I have an idea!"

"Go ahead, Cozy."

Cozy grinned. "What about planting a mole or two in their little friend group? Someone who can befriend them and get close to them. Close enough to glean some info about...uh..." Her smile turned into a frown for a moment. "Well, whatever you want."

For a minute, Opaline sat on the prospect. And the more she considered it, the bigger her smile grew. "Yes...I believe that can work." She jabbed a hoof at the other two mares. "Cozy Glow! Misty! Go out there, make...friends with those princesses and the rest of that pathetic lot, and get me information on whatever you can find!" Her eyes narrowed. "Specifically...those crystals on top of the lighthouse. The Unity Crystals."

"The Unity Crystals?"

"The source of Equestria's magic. My magic." Opaline snarled. "When those crystals are brought here, then I can take my magic back and crush Equestria to dust under my hooves." A sharp nasal exhale. "But that can't happen if you two aren't willing to cooperate."

"Oh, we'll cooperate." Cozy nudged her cohort. "Right, Misty?"

"Um..r-right."

"Good. Now get going!"

Cozy and Misty both booked it out of the room, and Opaline watched them go with a glint in her eye. When they became out of sight, she turned back to the pool and curled her lip at the sight of that wretched blue alicorn atop a balcony, addressing a crowd of ponies below. Her minions could target Sunny, Izzy, and the others. But this alicorn was hers to deal with, and hers alone.

"And as for you, little pony...what secrets do you hold?"

Author's Note

Man, can you believe this took me nearly two years to finish?

Yeah, I can't either. Though this wasn't a planned story and was something made entirely on a whim...so.

Either way, this was really fun to write. (Seeing all the alicorn Sunny and alicorn Izzy pieces floating around definitely helped. Keep it going!) Hoping to continue with more stories set in this alternate universe once I have some free time, and actually plan them out this time around. There's lots of stuff in here that I want to turn into a chapter of a story or even a story of its own. (Hence why this ending might look a little sloppy -- I do have a few sequel stories I'd like to plan out regarding the return of magic, Opaline's whole dealio, etc. This chapter is meant to be a sort of lead-in to those stories.)

And speaking of, if you want to see how Cozy came to be in the hooves of Opaline, check out Freedom, which I wrote for last year's Cozy Glow Short Story Contest.