Lines of Successionby MockingbirbChaptersHomeward BoundAnd Everypony Loved HerLove Is a Stone-Cold BitchEpilogueHomeward BoundSunset's alarm clock beeped loudly again and again, an incredibly annoying sound that never failed to wake her. She rolled over, one hand reaching down from her bed to press the snooze button. Her eyes opened. Standing around her bed were six men wearing dark suits, looking very physically fit and alert. Two directly faced her, standing at attention. The other four kept steady lookouts in different directions. "Who the buck are you people?" Sunset asked. "And what are you doing in my apartment?" She almost reached under her pillow for an Equestrian-style dagger, but she decided to try her wits instead of cold steel. Especially because if this was a fight, it was six against one. A man whose hair was lightly frosted at the temples said, "Sunset Shimmer, I presume." "I didn't ask who I was. I asked who YOU were." The man said, "Let us show her all proper reverence. In order of rank, me first." He knelt, and let himself fall forward onto his hands. "We come bearing tragic news. In accordance with the official line of succession, you, Sunset Shimmer, are the newest princess of Equestria. With all the duties and privileges that accompany that role." Sunset laughed. "I don't know who the buck you people really are, but I know I'm not a princess. Celestia was very clear about that. She said I wasn't ready. She said I wasn't anywhere NEAR ready." The man's arms pushed off against the floor, and he rose easily back onto his feet. Singly and in pairs, Sunset's other unexpected visitors bowed on all fours as he had. "What are you people doing in my home?" Sunset growled. "Did anyone INVITE you?" The leader bowed again, from the waist this time. "Your highness, sometimes duty to Equestria must make uneasy compromise with ordinary courtesy. As the supreme princess of Equestria, you must be properly guarded at all times." "Supreme? What, did Celestia abdicate?" "Also, Equestria needs your help very urgently. You must come as soon as possible." Sunset looked around the room, studying each man's face and body language. Sunset had spent much of her life in Canterlot's Royal Palace, often with Princess Celestia herself. And more than anything else, this felt like going home. All the way down to the core of her bones, she felt it: these really were elite Palace Guards, protecting a princess of Equestria. And that princess, somehow, was Sunset Shimmer. Sunset said, "You people are serious." The squad's leader nodded. "Please." Sunset took a deep breath. "You!" She pointed at a random guard. "Go through my wardrobe, find my suitcase, and pack whatever clothes you think most needed." Sunset had no idea what would happen to most of her clothing if it was taken through the portal, but she thought this guardpony's guess might be at least as good as her own. "You..." She pointed at another, "go down to the kitchen and pick out some breakfast, whatever we have time for me to eat on the way. And you--" She scowled at the squad's leader. "Sergeant?" He nodded. "Sergeant Cloud Guard, at your service." "Sergeant, YOU shall brief me as fully as you can." He nodded. "You seem...to be adjusting. Much more easily than I expected." Sunset snorted. "I was born to rule. It seems even Celestia finally recognized that. Too bad she didn't see the truth until too late. If I'd been by her side, perhaps I would have been able to save her from whatever...made the line of succession so suddenly relevant." The sergeant shook his head. "Or perhaps the disaster would have taken you as well. It might be our realm's only recent good fortune, our saving grace, that you were nowhere near." A man duck-walked out of Sunset's wardrobe face first, holding a suitcase in one hand. "Packed, your highness. More clothes will be available on the other side, made as or before you need them." "Of course," Sunset said. She looked down from the little open-sided loft she used as her 'bedroom.' "You in the kitchen! One peanut butter sandwich should be plenty, unless the trip takes longer than a few hours." She turned away, ignoring him as he finished up. "Will I need to...look presentable?" Sunset asked. The sergeant smiled. "You look fine, your highness. I think ponies will be more reassured by knowing you hurried home to help them, even if your mane and tail might be a bit messy." Sunset's eyes narrowed. "That bad, huh?" She grimaced. "Can we leave now?" The sergeant nodded. "Princess orders an immediate departure," he barked out. All but one of the men still on her open loft ran downstairs. One opened the front door and held it open, while three others rushed through, one of them the sergeant. Sunset trotted down to the main floor. As she went out the door, still in pyjamas, she smirked at the man holding it open. "You shouldn't have." "It's protocol," he said straight-facedly. Standing outside, the sergeant nodded. "It's true. I would think you'd already know all these things." Sunset looked around at the new morning. "It's practically the bucking crack of dawn," she groused. "Couldn't you have saved your crisis for a decent hour?" "That's exactly the problem," the sergeant replied. "We can't." Another man...a private, Sunset guessed...held open the back door of a large black automobile. Sunset slid inside, and the sergeant slid in next to her. He handed her an envelope. Everyone got into the car, except for one outrider who used a motorbike. As the motorbike and car turned out into the street, Sunset noted the envelope's special royal seal, tore it open, and started to read. My Dearest Sunset Shimmer, I wrote this letter ahead of time, as one of my contingency plans. If you are reading this, I must not be in a position to write you anything more specific. I might be captured and imprisoned by enemies, or otherwise incapacitated, or perhaps even dead. Damn, Sunset thought. Whoever wrote this, they've got Celestia's hornwriting style down COLD. Sunset felt a cold lump in her chest. Captured? Incapacitated? Or even dead? But at least, surely, Celestia wasn't dead. That would be impossible, right? I know in the past, I told you that you weren't ready to be a princess. At that time, in my best judgement, I was telling you the truth as I saw it. But in our hearts, you and I both know that you are not entirely UNready to be a princess either. You are very brave and bold, when courage and boldness are what's needed (and even if sometimes also when they are NOT needed.) You're sometimes dishonest and a schemer, but on another hoof? Indirect scheming and...tact, shall we say...are sometimes very needful when ruling a nation. Sometimes, you have been self-centered and thoughtless and callous, and even cruel. As for these flaws, I can only hope that you've already at least started to change. I hadn't expected you to suddenly break free of me, and run away to seek your fortune in another world. But maybe an adventure, out on your own, is exactly what you've needed to help you grow up. I can only hope your new experiences have taught you the importance of kindness, and even how to make true friends. Ha, Sunset thought. 'Friends.' Do Snips and Snails count? I'm not sure they really do. They're more like tools. And Flash...even Flash isn't a friend. He's more of...a minor recreation. Loving You Always, Celestia Sunset's eyes teared up. She said to herself, I thought I didn't need any friends. So I didn't bother to make any. But I never realized before...I've always had one true friend, ever since I was a little foal. A friend who I always thought of as a teacher, or a meddlesome, overqualified daycare worker, or a bossy noble. Somepony who was and wasn't almost like a mother. Sunset thought about how she'd been spending the two years since she'd fled Equestria. How she'd worked to become the Mean Girl In Chief of one measly alien high school. She'd succeeded...but if she compared her last two years of 'accomplishments' to the ambitions she'd once held? Or if she compared her petty little high school tyranny to what was now asked of her? Either way, she felt very, very small. "I'm not worthy," Sunset said. And for once in her life, she meant it. The sergeant put one hand on her shoulder. "We all feel that way, at one time or another." He smiled. "I felt that way on the day I was promoted, and on more than a few days afterwards. But if the Princess chose you...I know you're able to handle it." If she chose me, Sunset thought, it was only because she didn't have anypony better. Sunset remembered somepony she hadn't given a passing thought to in weeks: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Sunset half-whispered, "What about Cadance?" "She's...alive," Sergeant Cloud Guard said. "But she's not the pony named in the contingency plan. If I had to guess why you were chosen, and not her? She doesn't have your magical strength." "So?" Sunset asked. Cloud Guard handed her a second envelope, which Sunset ripped open. My Dearest Sunset, With your exceptional understanding of magic, the rest of this letter gives instructions you will be able to work out and use in short order. "Huh?" Sunset said. The first spell is for alicorn ascension. The second spell is for raising and lowering the sun. "What the everloving buck?" Sunset whispered. She paged through the rest of the letter. As well as she could understand, it was, indeed, everything she needed to know to accomplish the first of those tasks. But the second task? That, she wasn't sure of...but at least now she had some hints to work with. "Why me?" Sunset asked aloud. Sergeant Cloud Guard shrugged. "Because somepony needs to do it, and soon?" Sunset grabbed the sergeant by both shoulders. "Tell me what happened while I was away! Tell me NOW!" "There's no time," he said. The car slowed and stopped. A private hopped out, opening the door for Sunset. "The portal is open," he said. "Don't buck with me!" Sunset snarled. "The portal doesn't open until at least six moons from now." The guard holding the door glanced at his sergeant, who nodded. The private ran over to the human-tall, cubical base holding up the Wondercolts statue, held one hand up to the surface, and stepped inside. Sunset watched the surface ripple and resmooth itself behind him. "What the buck?" she remarked. The sergeant gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Princess Celestia has long maintained covert teams and operations capabilities...extending somewhat beyond what you might have been aware of. Please come with us, Princess Sunset. Equestria needs you." "So...at least for the moment, during your mysterious little crisis, you're willing to put ME on the throne? A 'spoiled little brat' like me? I won't pretend I never heard what ponies said about me behind my back, when I was living in Equestria. In the Royal Palace." "You're already ON the throne, your highness. You need only accept it." Still half dazed with wonder and shock, Sunset walked to the portal and stepped inside. *** When she came out the mirror on the portal's other end, it took her a moment to remember how to walk on four legs again. But at least, she thought with some satisfaction, she wasn't vomiting like the guard who was making a mess in one of the room's corners. "So," Sunset said. "It comes to this. One of the old furniture storerooms." She sneezed. "Doesn't anypony ever DUST this place...no, of course not." She turned, watching the rest of the squad come through the portal after her. The sergeant asked, "The letters...did you understand everything?" "Yes," Sunset agreed, hoping she was telling the truth, and really did understand all the magical instructions well enough. "Is the Palace still the same as it was a few years ago? The same floor plan? Are there any new hazards to avoid?" "Much the same, your highness." Sunset said, "Step back. No, if I want to be sure, I need more headroom. Enough headroom for a small thunderstorm, to be safe. Let's go to the East Courtyard." "Yes, your highness." Sunset trotted out of the room and through the halls, as the squad around her kept pace. *** Sunset looked up at the starry sky. "Shouldn't the sun be up by...oh, how stupid of me." She reread the first few pages of the letter, charged up her horn with magic, and directed the thaums into a complicated pattern of flow. A moment later, she was gone. *** "Hello?" Sunset said. Unlike the dark night of a moment ago, a deep blue-tinged dawnlight or twilight now surrounded her, with small, blurry lights floating all around. "If this is one of your pranks, Celestia...you know, there are EASIER ways to invite me to a surprise party." Nocreature answered her. She was alone in a measurelessly broad space. But on the not-ground at her hooves, there lay a note. If you are here, you probably need to perform the spells of sun raising and sun lowering. Here are a few more clues and tips for the parts you might be missing. "Oh, thank the Great Bucker," Sunset breathed. "These are just what I needed, I think." Now that you're an alicorn, you can return here anytime you need to, by repeating the same spell that brought you here the first time. Once you've memorized the following magical information, you should return to the Material Plane. Your friends are probably wondering what happened to you, and they might be worried. Here are the thaumic details... Sunset reread the note, using her old cramming skills from back when she was a unicorn magic student in Equestria. Once she was sure, Sunset grabbed onto a tiny bit of magic, and twisted it just so. *** A pillar of light appeared in the courtyard, stretching upward towards the stars. Two guardsponies kept watch on it, while the others looked away. A moment later, Sunset appeared with outstretched wings, floating down towards the ground. Sunset remembered all that she had read, and let her horn glow brightly. A moment later, the dawn's light spread above the walls at the courtyard's eastern side. The sky turned pale blue as the sun rose. "There," Sunset said, collapsing onto her belly. "I've...raised your sun for you. You'd better all be grateful." She panted, trying to catch her breath. It had been years since she'd last cast a spell, and she'd just performed a very difficult pair of them. "We are," the nearest guard said. "Believe us, we are." Sunset rolled over, onto her side. Her flank moved with the slow, regular breathing of a sleeping pony. Two brave maids dared to enter the courtyard, carrying blankets. *** Sunset woke to the scent of freshly grilled haybacon. "We asked around," a maid said. "Some ponies did remember what foods you used to like for breakfast, when you were here...before." Sunset asked herself, What would Celestia have done? Sunset smiled. "Thank you." "Oh, you're so welcome! Your highness!" The maid bowed low for a moment. Sunset shook off her blankets, and floated a piece of haybacon to her mouth. "This is delicious. I'd forgotten how good it tasted." Sunset tried several different dishes, washing them down with orange juice and coffee. Standing up, Sunset looked around at the squad of guards who still stood watch surrounding her. "First things first. Now how do we get Celestia back?" "What?" a guard said, looking vaguely ill. "The letter I was given said she might have been captured and held prisoner. So tell me, who might have her? What are their known weaknesses? Do they have demands?" Sunset exposed her teeth fiercely. "Can we CRUSH them, and make them SO VERY SORRY?" Sergeant Cloud Guard shook his head. "I never had a good chance to give you the second part of your briefing." Sunset nodded. "So start giving." The sergeant waved towards one of the buildings that enclosed the courtyard. While his squad shooed the maids out of the space, three other ponies joined Cloud and Sunset. Two were guardponies, and the third was Raven Quill, who Sunset recognized as one of Celestia's main 'right hoof ponies.' Raven said, "Our eyewitness accounts begin in Ponyville." "Ponyville?" Sunset said. "Sounds...KIND of familiar? Oh! That's the one-horse town that sends the Palace our Zap Apple jam every year." Raven took a deep breath. "Please try to keep up, your highness. You can interrupt when you have something to say that might be important." Sunset sighed. "I think YOU could audition for the role of Celestia's stand-in. Bossy, and good at putting a pony in wherever you think is her place." Raven bowed deeply. "Please forgive me, your majesty. It's been a very stressful and tiring day for all of us. I hear you did what had to be done, when other ponies thought it impossible for anycreature to accomplish it, and on very short notice, too. But we are here to help you. We simply want you to be as informed as possible, as befits a royal sovereign." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sorry. Please fill me in." Raven bowed, more hastily this time. "As I said, our eyewitness accounts begin in Ponyville." And Everypony Loved HerPrincess Celestia rested on an extra large couch, in a temporarily requisitioned back room of Ponyville's Town Hall. One small nightlight barely weakened the night's darkness. She glanced at one of her several personal clocks. About half an hour later, it would be time to start the show. A dark, shadowy substance seeped under a door, and along the base of one wall. Celestia said, "I see you, dear sister. I am so, so sorry. I never meant to send you away for so long. But at least we've had time for both our tempers to cool. I do not know how to express the depth of my regrets." The shadowy cloud rose and coalesced, forming a midnight colored pony. A million tiny stars twinkled in her mane and tail. Steel armor, tempered to a deep blue color, covered much of her head and chest. "I doubt your regrets could ever be deep enough. Not for as long as you live." Through another door, a young mare's voice said, "But of COURSE I'm on the list. I'm Princess Celestia's personal student and protege. She and I are like THIS." The dark pony snorted, as her unicorn horn and her pegasus wings fully took shape. "How interesting. Your PERSONAL student." "Don't you dare touch her," Celestia hissed. "She has NOTHING to do with our old quarrels." A stallion's voice in the next room said, "I know her, and she's telling the truth, list or not. Let her in." The door opened, and a small purple unicorn mare walked in, carrying a book and a bundle of flowers. The pony of darkness had instantly moved between the door's back and the nearest wall, hiding herself from view for the moment. The door closed again. "Celestia?" the unicorn said. Her horn glowed softly, like a candle. "I just thought...while you're here...I made five new friends today, I think. Just like you asked for." Twilight prattled on cheerfully, about Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "I'm not sure about that last one," Twilight confided. "I think maybe she's a little...nuts. And Fluttershy seems to have some kind of social phobia...except she doesn't seem afraid of dragons at ALL, if you can believe that. Maybe she's infected with toxoplasmosis? She spends a LOT of time taking care of animals, so I suppose it would make sense. "Anyway...I wanted to make you happy and proud, and I hope I'm doing that. And here, I brought you some flowers." Celestia smiled at her protege. "Oh, Twilight. You shouldn't have." "But I wanted to. Because of...how I feel about you." Celestia's eyes darted almost imperceptibly towards the corner where her sister hid in the shadows. "I really meant that. You shouldn't have." Twilight sniffled. "Maybe I'm just a fool. But...you're a very special pony. I don't know anypony so kind, so wise, so beautiful..." "Twilight," Celestia said. "You should say no more, and go." "No!" Twilight insisted. "Maybe most ponies would say it's just a schoolgirl crush. But I know it's real. Now I understand why you sent me away from the Palace. At first I was heartbroken, but now I understand." Celestia gazed at Twilight, with unspoken sorrow in her eyes. Twilight said, "Princess, it's because if I was still a student in your school, it would be wrong for me to be in love with you. But now that I'm not, it's totally different. We're...colleagues. Fellow researchers. And it's only natural, that sometimes colleagues might fall in love. There's nothing wrong with it! It's ok!" "Oh, Twilight." Celestia's glance flicked over towards the corner again. "I'm not worthy of you. You should leave. Leave now." "Never!" the little unicorn said. "I love you. And I'll never give up on somepony as wonderful as you." In a dark corner of the room, somecreature chuckled softly. "Who's there?" Twilight demanded. Her horn lit up the room, and she stared at the shadowy colored creature. "Who...what ARE you?" The creature grinned, showing dangerous looking fangs. "Why...Twilight. With everything that she's taught you...hasn't my dear sister told you about her dear sister Luna? Or as some ponies call me, Nightmare Moon?" Twilight stared for a moment, and laughed. "Ok, Celestia. I know you love your little jokes. But how could anypony be expected to believe this? A creature from children's stories? The monster parents tell their foals about, to warn them against tooth decay?" The room grew colder. Frost formed in the windows' corners. The creature said, "I know not what foalish tales might be told using my name. But I am Celestia's only sister, by rights a ruler of Equestria." The night colored, twinkling-maned pony stepped out of the corner, and walked slowly around Twilight and Celestia. "Or might I say...by rights I am THE ruler of Equestria. After how my sister treated me, I think she has given up all rights to the throne. Or to anything else." "Twilight," Celestia said softly. "Run. Run as far and as fast as you can. Nopony is safe here." "Stay," Nightmare Moon said. "If you turn your back on me and run, I will strike you down. As the first installment in my 'DEAR' sister's just punishment." Celestia hissed, "You have no right! Do NOT try to punish me by hurting other ponies." Nightmare Moon smiled. "But why not? I know your game. She's still young enough that you would miss her." Celestia glared at her sister. "It's...not like that." "Oh, of COURSE it isn't. I remember what it was like. What YOU'RE like. Everypony loves you. You've had so many years of experience and practice, learning how to get other ponies to love you. Everypony worships you like a goddess. They would do anything to please you. Absolutely anything." Nightmare licked her lips. Twilight's head swiveled back and forth between her two elders, until finally she stared at the Nightmare. "What...are you JEALOUS?" Celestia shook her head. "If it would make you happy, dear sister, I would ask Twilight to serve you. I do not know whether she would be willing to do it, or for how long, but I would ask, if that was what you wanted. And if she loves me as you say, I suppose she would do it." "What?" Twilight squeaked. "You would...give me away to somepony as a present? How DARE you?" Twilight's forehoof ineffectively struck Celestia's flank. Nightmare chuckled. "Twilight? Now you understand just how much you mean to the pony you love so much. Or how little." Twilight breathed faster. Was it fear, or anger, or some of both, that moved her soft-furred, delicately fluffy chest? Nightmare eyed the unicorn's chest fluff with an ironic expression. "So, my dear sister. Does your 'dear student' even know about you? About how you used to pick out the most delicious little teen fillies, and occasionally a colt, and...'show them how much their princess loves them?'" "That was a different time," Celestia said in a flat, carefully controlled tone. "Ponies' ways were different then. Many ponies even married younger." "Yes," Luna said. "But not me. I never wanted a pony unless she or he was an adult. Because we are supposed to be ADULTS, Celestia. Not hormone-addled foals." Celestia grimaced. "It's not like that. I haven't had an affair with a teenager for...many hundreds of years." "Yes," Nightmare said. "Not that you'd admit to, at least." She eyed Twilight again. Twilight said angrily, "I don't know what history the two of you have. I don't know if Celestia is simply humoring a pile of terrible lies coming out of a disgusting, evil creature. Or maybe you're simply insane! That would make sense, when somecreature claims to be a fiction from a foal's tale." Nightmare snorted. "I don't know the fairy tales. I know only the truth." "You don't understand!" Celestia said. "Oh, I understand PERFECTLY. You always put on your big public ceremonies like the Raising of the Sun, and made your visits to teenagers' schools, with everypony spread out before you like the world was your own personal menu. And you took your pick." Celestia frowned. Luna said, "Oh, yes you did. You took what you wanted, and let them tell you how much they loved you. And you told them you loved them too...for a little while." Celestia took a deep breath, but said nothing. "And when you were done with them, DEAR sister of mine...when they started to show the smallest, slightest signs of age, then you tossed them away." Celestia finally spoke. "I...Luna, an alicorn is perfect, and flawless, and in her own way, ageless. We do not wrinkle, or grow gray hairs. Our bones and joints will never creak. We never grow old. Ordinary ponies age together, and that's the way it is. When one pony travels towards the boundaries of that strange country from which nopony ever returns, another pony goes with them. And that's only right, that they travel so, in the company of ponies like themselves. Ponies making the same journey, together." Luna sniffed. "So...you're still the same plucker of young fruit that you ever were. And the same cold, cruel discarder and destroyer of ponies' hearts." "I...I don't know what to tell you. But I've changed now, I have." "Hmmph. How have you changed?" "I did not speak of love to Twilight...not like that. I did not encourage her." "Encouragement does not have to be in words, my sister." "All I did was encourage her to grow into herself. Into a smarter, more capable self. And if that's a crime, every teacher is as guilty as I. Every good teacher, at least." "I still remember how you stole the pony I loved, 'dear sister.' You could have had a thousand...you DID have thousands, over the years. But when there was somepony my heart truly wanted...you took her first." "I am sorry for that. I never meant to do that. But what did you want me to do, tell her I didn't love her anymore? I hadn't even known you wanted her!" "You NEVER knew, Tia. You never wanted to know how you hurt so many ponies. You never wanted to know about my own feelings, how I felt so alone. Because everypony always loved you first, and me never." Twilight said, "I don't know what this is all about...but may I please be excused?" Luna chuckled again. "No, stay. Stay and get to truly know the pony who you think you love, with your pure, innocent heart." Celestia said, "It doesn't have to be like that. I have a new plan. A plan I've never told anypony. I've started a special school--" "A special school to feed your appetites? This does not sound new." "No! I'm trying to gather the most magically talented ponies, and have them taught how to become so skilled at magic, they might succeed in casting some form of alicorn ascension spell. So they will live forever, ageless as you and I." "Hmmph," Nightmare said. "So...I see. That's not the worst plan." Celestia nodded. "Thank you. So you see...I HAVE reformed." "Yes," Nightmare said. "Or maybe the 'alicorn ascension' plan is merely a thin excuse. You tell me a tale about 'ascension,' and in the meantime...you operate a school, with many young unicorns under your supervision. How NOVEL of you. You HAVE changed, SO much." She whinnied sarcastically. Twilight said, "I've been a fool." "Yes," Nightmare said. "You HAVE been. But at least you'll get to watch your false-hearted teacher Celestia die, which is something." Twilight stood up extra straight and tall...which brought her to maybe two thirds as tall as either of the other two ponies in the room. "Celestia's concerns go far beyond just me, or any one pony. I never knew about her alicorn ascension plan. But if her plan succeeds, someday Equestria will have a wealth of alicorns, each one full of powerful magic to help Equestria. That's more important than just one pony like me. With more alicorns--" Twilight's horn instantly changed from dim to almost sun-bright, her magic aiming for Nightmare's head. The potentially deadly bolt struck Nightmare's helmet, not her flesh, but enough nimbus caught the midnight mare's eyes and the rest of her face to blind her, at least for the moment. A beam of pure darkness exited Nightmare's horn. She might have intended to strike back at her attacker, but the sightlessly thrown blow went astray, passing over Twilight and blowing Celestia's head off. "No!" Twilight screamed, glancing back at her former mentor. She chanted mysterious syllables she'd discovered one evening in an ancient book, hidden within a Palace Library storage room. Within her mind and her horn, she combined those energies with a strange magical diagram she'd once seen in a used bookshop, a shop the Canterlot Guard had since closed down and burned. The energies hopped across the gap between Twilight's horn and Nightmare's body, like a tiny, dim spark. The room's door burst inward off its hinges, but to Twilight, the door seemed to move slowly. Maybe it was the Palace Guard, Twilight thought. Coming to save...nopony at all, now. It was all too late. Nopony important was still alive, Twilight felt. As the room's door opened, the still-solid Nightmare Moon fell beneath Twilight's spell. Nightmare's chest was ripped open and flayed, her ribs spread wide like a dragon's half-finished feast. *** "And how did you get eyewitness testimony about all this?" Sunset asked. She stared at Raven Quill and the scrolls laid out before her. "The Equestrian Guard has had a busy morning," a guardspony said. Sunset tried to remember his name...Sky Sentry. He had a nephew named Flash. "I can only imagine," Sunset said. "But how did you get this information? Is it reliable?" The guard said, "One of the Guard's experts in gently questioning traumatized witnesses spent hours with Twilight Sparkle. Not continuous questioning, there were a lot of breaks to try to calm and soothe." He added, "Guardsponies in the next room had overheard some of the conversation before the fight, but they didn't know whether or how to intervene without possibly making things worse, until the fight broke out and ended almost all at once, in only a few seconds. And as it happens, Ponyville is the home of one of Equestria's leading experts on animal-to-pony communication. She questioned several mice who live within the Town Hall, one snake, and one lizard." "Hmm," Sunset said. Sky Sentry suggested, "If you would like to see the scene of the...battle, I believe the Guard has it properly secured." Raven Quill raised one eyebrow at him. "Sometimes," Sentry said, "it can help a pony feel...maybe not better, but accept things better. Help a little with laying to rest old ghosts." I'm going to have at least one personal ghost out of this, Sunset thought. A big old ghost. One of the most important ponies in my life. Maybe THE most important pony in my life, right next to my own self. "I'd like that," Sunset said. "If Raven hasn't any serious objections." Raven gave Sentry a somewhat peeved look. She said, "I suppose. If the Guard is willing to take full responsibility. Would you be willing to take PERSONAL responsibility, Mister Sentry?" Sentry said, "As a Guardspony, I take full personal responsibility every day." To Sunset he added, "I do think we should be careful with your health, Princess Sunset Shimmer. We can carry you to Ponyville in a flying chariot, or in a royal railcar as part of a special express train." Sunset shrugged. "I suppose now I could just fly." She added hastily, "With full Guard escort, of course. I wouldn't want you to worry about 'my health.'" Raven remarked, "If you take a special train, your highness, we can bring as many officials and Guardsponies along as we like. That will facilitate more briefings, and enable us to make more progress on official business." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yay, paperwork! Everypony loves paperwork." Sentry said, "Also, after your recent expenditure of personal energy in Equestria's service...if you need to get a little more rest, the railcar is well equipped for that." He whispered, "Royal napping car." Sunset shrugged. "Ok, I give up. What's the use of being a princess if you don't take advantage of the little perks? I'm sure it's faster to take the train than argue with you all." Love Is a Stone-Cold Bitch"We've very carefully inspected the room," Sentry said, "but we haven't moved much. Forensics reserved the entire space, just in case." Sunset peered through the doorway, trying to see through the gaps between the partway open door, the surrounding doorframe, and Sentry himself. "May I have a clear view?" she asked. "Even...go inside?" Sentry shrugged. "There are no guarantees in this world, but I suppose at this point it's about as safe as anyplace else." He stepped sideways. "If you have any questions, or think you might need any help, just call out." Sunset frowned. She saw a pale, unmoving torso with twisted-looking limbs, not unlike a dead cow she'd seen in a butcher's shop once, in the human world. "It doesn't even look like a pony, not really." "Yes," Sentry agreed. "But it does tend to sneak up on you." Sunset stepped into the room. With a wider field of view, she noticed the now unponylike, midnight-dark corpse closer to one wall. "Wow," she said. "Looks like...I've seen scenes like this in human restaurants, only smaller. I guess this Twilight pony even cooked the Nightmare, well-done." "Yes. Twilight Sparkle was very thorough. I gather Twilight was fighting for her own life, and against the pony who had just threatened to kill the princess Twilight loved. Had just killed her, but maybe Twilight thought Celestia might still be saved, if help could arrive in time." Seeing the pale torso from another angle, Sunset felt a queasy shock of recognition. "Mom," she said. She felt cold and weak, and very, very small. Like a foal. A unicorn picked Sunset up bodily in a magical corona, pulling her out of the room. Another pony held a wastebasket in front of her face, and Sunset emptied her stomach. When her heaving had slowed to just occasional clenches within her belly, she said, "Mom," and cried. Somepony patted Sunset's shoulder as she screamed and wailed. "Mom! I don't think I can...how can I...you shouldn't have let this happen. You should have known better. Equestria needs you. I need you." "I know what it's like," a mareish voice said. Sunset turned to look. It was a purple unicorn. She had one forehoof on Sunset's shoulder. "You," Sunset said. "You of all ponies. Why are you of all ponies..." "Trying to comfort you?" the unicorn asked. "Yes. Aren't you--" "Twilight Sparkle, yes." Sunset remembered what Celestia used to do, mostly when Sunset was a little foal, but less often as she grew older. But whenever Sunset was deeply hurt and willing to admit it, it seemed Celestia was always there for her. Sunset asked, "May I...may I embrace you in my wings? Not that I'll be any good at it." Twilight put a foreleg partway around Sunset, hugging her. "You should. You should get to hug somepony. I should get to hug somepony too. Somecreature else, who..." Sunset wrapped her wings around Twilight, somewhat awkwardly at first. "You're right. By...I don't know what to swear by, anymore." "Swear by yourself," Twilight said sardonically. "Somepony has to." "Damn me to Tartarus," Sunset said. "If I'd only been here...if I'd only stayed...maybe it would have turned out differently." Twilight bared her teeth in a grimace, and made an odd sound in her throat. "I was here. I tried my very best to defend her. I thought, if only I could get off a first shot, just to distract the killer, the assassin...even if my body could block the first attack..." "You tried really hard, didn't you? Not that you thought or felt you had any other choice." "I would have died for her. The murderer...Nightmare, or Luna, or whatever her name was...the murderer told me I was wrong. And in a funny kind of way...I'm not sure Celestia was really arguing very hard. But the only thing I'm sorry about is that Celestia is dead, and I failed to save her." Sunset said, "I've seen and heard all the reports. The tactical analysts agree. You did your very best. You brought your very best to the fight that you didn't even know you'd be in, and you did your Celestia-blessed best to win it, even if it might cost you your own life. Your only mistake was, you were unlucky. Please don't torment yourself over it. Because that's the last thing Celestia would have wanted, for you to blame yourself." "But I...if only..." "There, there," Sunset nuzzled Twilight's cheek. "I've never met you before. I only know you through a very hurried investigation. But I think I know you a lot better than...a pony usually knows somepony they've never met before." "I don't know what to do with myself," Twilight said. "I had all these ideas about what to do in Ponyville, and with Celestia, all these plans...and now, nothing. Nothing at all. Everything that mattered to me is gone." Cloud Guard cleared his throat. "It's never easy," he said. "Losing somepony who's important to you. In the Guard...even if you're lucky enough that you never lose somepony who's so close to you...you still learn, sooner or later. You still know. Even if you mostly avoid it yourself, you still know ponies who...well. And it's something they officially teach us about, of course." Sunset took a deep breath. "Of course." Sunset looked into Twilight's eyes. "When I was a few years younger, my teacher told me I needed to make friends. But somehow, I never really got the knack of it. And now I meet somepony who, reliable reports say, has five friends in Ponyville, and I suppose more friends besides. Is it true you're friends with a dragon?" Twilight's mouth wrinkled, almost smiling. "I usually call him my brother. Although under dragon law, I might be his mother." "Really," Sunset said. "You don't say." "I didn't...YOU KNOW, with a dragon. I just hatched the egg. It was part of my entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." Sunset's lips pursed quizzically. "Whatever Celestia was to us...did it ever occur to you that she was kind of insane? I mean, really, expecting a little foal to be a dragon's mother. How did she ever come up with something like that?" "I don't know. She always was...a tricky one, in her own way. But most of her plans were well-meant, at least, and I believe they were wise, too. I wouldn't give up my little brother for anything. He's the best little brother in the whole world." "Twilight." Sunset patted Twilight's shoulder. "Will you help me learn about friendship?" Twilight nodded. "Let's learn about it together." With a sudden gasp, she started crying. Epilogue"Knock, knock," Sunset's voice was muffled by the study's door. "Hi," Twilight replied. Her horn glowed softly, and the door opened. "So," Sunset said, "how are you doing?" Today she was magically disguised as a pink unicorn with a paler pink mane, as if most of Ponyville didn't already know what was going on with the pair's frequent back and forth visits between the podunk town and Canterlot. "Oh...fine, considering. What day it is and all." Sunset nodded. "Yes. What day it is. I had always thought she would last forever, but...I guess you have to do what you can. I know she would be very proud of you." "You too," Twilight insisted. She snorted, and half-grimaced impishly. "Especially since you used to be such a buck-up, running away to the human world and all...but then you turned your life around." "Yes. It's been kind of weird. I couldn't really be a good Princess-In-Chief AND exactly like my old self, so a lot of the time I've been trying to be a princess-in-chief like Celestia. What would Celestia do? I'd spent a lot of time with her, even at some official events, so I had a lot of experience to go by. But in the end, you have to be yourself, you know? Even years later, I'm still learning how to do that." "You're doing really well," Twilight said. "She would be proud of you." "I guess she'd be proud of both of us," Sunset agreed. "But I think I'd give almost anything to have her back, and not have had to prove the hard way how proud she could be of us." "I understand," Twilight said. "It's weird to think about, trying to guess how our lives might have been. Who we might be right now." "If Equestria hadn't suddenly needed me so much...would I have become a hardcore teenage delinquent? Become the leader of my own crappy little human street gang?" "I'm sure it would have been the BEST street gang. Maybe you could borrow a dragon from Equestria to intimidate people." "Hmm," Sunset said. "I don't know. I wonder if I'll ever have enough spare time now, to even visit the human world again. Speaking of freeing up some more of my time, how's the alicorn ascension spell research going this week? I mean, a spell to uplift and supercharge ponies who are morally worthy, good hearted ponies, and not just the rare jerk with the most powerful horn who happens to be strong enough to make the uplifting spell we have now work. Overpowered, one in a million jerks like me." Twilight shook her head. "You're not really a jerk. And in my alicorn ascension research...I'm still just finding new blind alleys, and new ways to be stuck." "That's my mare!" Sunset smiled. "When you finally run out of ways to be stuck, you'll have the problem licked!" "But I'm not sure it's the right answer," Twilight remarked. "Legends say, many thousands of years ago, before Celestia, the sun was raised and lowered by unicorns, working as a team." "Yeah, and legends ALSO say the unicorns burned out their horns doing it." "I don't think it has to be that way. I think there must be a way to do it safely, if we can get enough ponies working together for the common good. Because what we understood after Celestia died is right: relying on a single alicorn to raise and lower the sun is insane. It's just too risky. But teamwork could be the answer." "Well...maybe. So do you have any plans for the day?" "Sure," Twilight said. "Spend it with one of my best friends." "What a coincidence! Me too."
Homeward BoundSunset's alarm clock beeped loudly again and again, an incredibly annoying sound that never failed to wake her. She rolled over, one hand reaching down from her bed to press the snooze button. Her eyes opened. Standing around her bed were six men wearing dark suits, looking very physically fit and alert. Two directly faced her, standing at attention. The other four kept steady lookouts in different directions. "Who the buck are you people?" Sunset asked. "And what are you doing in my apartment?" She almost reached under her pillow for an Equestrian-style dagger, but she decided to try her wits instead of cold steel. Especially because if this was a fight, it was six against one. A man whose hair was lightly frosted at the temples said, "Sunset Shimmer, I presume." "I didn't ask who I was. I asked who YOU were." The man said, "Let us show her all proper reverence. In order of rank, me first." He knelt, and let himself fall forward onto his hands. "We come bearing tragic news. In accordance with the official line of succession, you, Sunset Shimmer, are the newest princess of Equestria. With all the duties and privileges that accompany that role." Sunset laughed. "I don't know who the buck you people really are, but I know I'm not a princess. Celestia was very clear about that. She said I wasn't ready. She said I wasn't anywhere NEAR ready." The man's arms pushed off against the floor, and he rose easily back onto his feet. Singly and in pairs, Sunset's other unexpected visitors bowed on all fours as he had. "What are you people doing in my home?" Sunset growled. "Did anyone INVITE you?" The leader bowed again, from the waist this time. "Your highness, sometimes duty to Equestria must make uneasy compromise with ordinary courtesy. As the supreme princess of Equestria, you must be properly guarded at all times." "Supreme? What, did Celestia abdicate?" "Also, Equestria needs your help very urgently. You must come as soon as possible." Sunset looked around the room, studying each man's face and body language. Sunset had spent much of her life in Canterlot's Royal Palace, often with Princess Celestia herself. And more than anything else, this felt like going home. All the way down to the core of her bones, she felt it: these really were elite Palace Guards, protecting a princess of Equestria. And that princess, somehow, was Sunset Shimmer. Sunset said, "You people are serious." The squad's leader nodded. "Please." Sunset took a deep breath. "You!" She pointed at a random guard. "Go through my wardrobe, find my suitcase, and pack whatever clothes you think most needed." Sunset had no idea what would happen to most of her clothing if it was taken through the portal, but she thought this guardpony's guess might be at least as good as her own. "You..." She pointed at another, "go down to the kitchen and pick out some breakfast, whatever we have time for me to eat on the way. And you--" She scowled at the squad's leader. "Sergeant?" He nodded. "Sergeant Cloud Guard, at your service." "Sergeant, YOU shall brief me as fully as you can." He nodded. "You seem...to be adjusting. Much more easily than I expected." Sunset snorted. "I was born to rule. It seems even Celestia finally recognized that. Too bad she didn't see the truth until too late. If I'd been by her side, perhaps I would have been able to save her from whatever...made the line of succession so suddenly relevant." The sergeant shook his head. "Or perhaps the disaster would have taken you as well. It might be our realm's only recent good fortune, our saving grace, that you were nowhere near." A man duck-walked out of Sunset's wardrobe face first, holding a suitcase in one hand. "Packed, your highness. More clothes will be available on the other side, made as or before you need them." "Of course," Sunset said. She looked down from the little open-sided loft she used as her 'bedroom.' "You in the kitchen! One peanut butter sandwich should be plenty, unless the trip takes longer than a few hours." She turned away, ignoring him as he finished up. "Will I need to...look presentable?" Sunset asked. The sergeant smiled. "You look fine, your highness. I think ponies will be more reassured by knowing you hurried home to help them, even if your mane and tail might be a bit messy." Sunset's eyes narrowed. "That bad, huh?" She grimaced. "Can we leave now?" The sergeant nodded. "Princess orders an immediate departure," he barked out. All but one of the men still on her open loft ran downstairs. One opened the front door and held it open, while three others rushed through, one of them the sergeant. Sunset trotted down to the main floor. As she went out the door, still in pyjamas, she smirked at the man holding it open. "You shouldn't have." "It's protocol," he said straight-facedly. Standing outside, the sergeant nodded. "It's true. I would think you'd already know all these things." Sunset looked around at the new morning. "It's practically the bucking crack of dawn," she groused. "Couldn't you have saved your crisis for a decent hour?" "That's exactly the problem," the sergeant replied. "We can't." Another man...a private, Sunset guessed...held open the back door of a large black automobile. Sunset slid inside, and the sergeant slid in next to her. He handed her an envelope. Everyone got into the car, except for one outrider who used a motorbike. As the motorbike and car turned out into the street, Sunset noted the envelope's special royal seal, tore it open, and started to read. My Dearest Sunset Shimmer, I wrote this letter ahead of time, as one of my contingency plans. If you are reading this, I must not be in a position to write you anything more specific. I might be captured and imprisoned by enemies, or otherwise incapacitated, or perhaps even dead. Damn, Sunset thought. Whoever wrote this, they've got Celestia's hornwriting style down COLD. Sunset felt a cold lump in her chest. Captured? Incapacitated? Or even dead? But at least, surely, Celestia wasn't dead. That would be impossible, right? I know in the past, I told you that you weren't ready to be a princess. At that time, in my best judgement, I was telling you the truth as I saw it. But in our hearts, you and I both know that you are not entirely UNready to be a princess either. You are very brave and bold, when courage and boldness are what's needed (and even if sometimes also when they are NOT needed.) You're sometimes dishonest and a schemer, but on another hoof? Indirect scheming and...tact, shall we say...are sometimes very needful when ruling a nation. Sometimes, you have been self-centered and thoughtless and callous, and even cruel. As for these flaws, I can only hope that you've already at least started to change. I hadn't expected you to suddenly break free of me, and run away to seek your fortune in another world. But maybe an adventure, out on your own, is exactly what you've needed to help you grow up. I can only hope your new experiences have taught you the importance of kindness, and even how to make true friends. Ha, Sunset thought. 'Friends.' Do Snips and Snails count? I'm not sure they really do. They're more like tools. And Flash...even Flash isn't a friend. He's more of...a minor recreation. Loving You Always, Celestia Sunset's eyes teared up. She said to herself, I thought I didn't need any friends. So I didn't bother to make any. But I never realized before...I've always had one true friend, ever since I was a little foal. A friend who I always thought of as a teacher, or a meddlesome, overqualified daycare worker, or a bossy noble. Somepony who was and wasn't almost like a mother. Sunset thought about how she'd been spending the two years since she'd fled Equestria. How she'd worked to become the Mean Girl In Chief of one measly alien high school. She'd succeeded...but if she compared her last two years of 'accomplishments' to the ambitions she'd once held? Or if she compared her petty little high school tyranny to what was now asked of her? Either way, she felt very, very small. "I'm not worthy," Sunset said. And for once in her life, she meant it. The sergeant put one hand on her shoulder. "We all feel that way, at one time or another." He smiled. "I felt that way on the day I was promoted, and on more than a few days afterwards. But if the Princess chose you...I know you're able to handle it." If she chose me, Sunset thought, it was only because she didn't have anypony better. Sunset remembered somepony she hadn't given a passing thought to in weeks: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Sunset half-whispered, "What about Cadance?" "She's...alive," Sergeant Cloud Guard said. "But she's not the pony named in the contingency plan. If I had to guess why you were chosen, and not her? She doesn't have your magical strength." "So?" Sunset asked. Cloud Guard handed her a second envelope, which Sunset ripped open. My Dearest Sunset, With your exceptional understanding of magic, the rest of this letter gives instructions you will be able to work out and use in short order. "Huh?" Sunset said. The first spell is for alicorn ascension. The second spell is for raising and lowering the sun. "What the everloving buck?" Sunset whispered. She paged through the rest of the letter. As well as she could understand, it was, indeed, everything she needed to know to accomplish the first of those tasks. But the second task? That, she wasn't sure of...but at least now she had some hints to work with. "Why me?" Sunset asked aloud. Sergeant Cloud Guard shrugged. "Because somepony needs to do it, and soon?" Sunset grabbed the sergeant by both shoulders. "Tell me what happened while I was away! Tell me NOW!" "There's no time," he said. The car slowed and stopped. A private hopped out, opening the door for Sunset. "The portal is open," he said. "Don't buck with me!" Sunset snarled. "The portal doesn't open until at least six moons from now." The guard holding the door glanced at his sergeant, who nodded. The private ran over to the human-tall, cubical base holding up the Wondercolts statue, held one hand up to the surface, and stepped inside. Sunset watched the surface ripple and resmooth itself behind him. "What the buck?" she remarked. The sergeant gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Princess Celestia has long maintained covert teams and operations capabilities...extending somewhat beyond what you might have been aware of. Please come with us, Princess Sunset. Equestria needs you." "So...at least for the moment, during your mysterious little crisis, you're willing to put ME on the throne? A 'spoiled little brat' like me? I won't pretend I never heard what ponies said about me behind my back, when I was living in Equestria. In the Royal Palace." "You're already ON the throne, your highness. You need only accept it." Still half dazed with wonder and shock, Sunset walked to the portal and stepped inside. *** When she came out the mirror on the portal's other end, it took her a moment to remember how to walk on four legs again. But at least, she thought with some satisfaction, she wasn't vomiting like the guard who was making a mess in one of the room's corners. "So," Sunset said. "It comes to this. One of the old furniture storerooms." She sneezed. "Doesn't anypony ever DUST this place...no, of course not." She turned, watching the rest of the squad come through the portal after her. The sergeant asked, "The letters...did you understand everything?" "Yes," Sunset agreed, hoping she was telling the truth, and really did understand all the magical instructions well enough. "Is the Palace still the same as it was a few years ago? The same floor plan? Are there any new hazards to avoid?" "Much the same, your highness." Sunset said, "Step back. No, if I want to be sure, I need more headroom. Enough headroom for a small thunderstorm, to be safe. Let's go to the East Courtyard." "Yes, your highness." Sunset trotted out of the room and through the halls, as the squad around her kept pace. *** Sunset looked up at the starry sky. "Shouldn't the sun be up by...oh, how stupid of me." She reread the first few pages of the letter, charged up her horn with magic, and directed the thaums into a complicated pattern of flow. A moment later, she was gone. *** "Hello?" Sunset said. Unlike the dark night of a moment ago, a deep blue-tinged dawnlight or twilight now surrounded her, with small, blurry lights floating all around. "If this is one of your pranks, Celestia...you know, there are EASIER ways to invite me to a surprise party." Nocreature answered her. She was alone in a measurelessly broad space. But on the not-ground at her hooves, there lay a note. If you are here, you probably need to perform the spells of sun raising and sun lowering. Here are a few more clues and tips for the parts you might be missing. "Oh, thank the Great Bucker," Sunset breathed. "These are just what I needed, I think." Now that you're an alicorn, you can return here anytime you need to, by repeating the same spell that brought you here the first time. Once you've memorized the following magical information, you should return to the Material Plane. Your friends are probably wondering what happened to you, and they might be worried. Here are the thaumic details... Sunset reread the note, using her old cramming skills from back when she was a unicorn magic student in Equestria. Once she was sure, Sunset grabbed onto a tiny bit of magic, and twisted it just so. *** A pillar of light appeared in the courtyard, stretching upward towards the stars. Two guardsponies kept watch on it, while the others looked away. A moment later, Sunset appeared with outstretched wings, floating down towards the ground. Sunset remembered all that she had read, and let her horn glow brightly. A moment later, the dawn's light spread above the walls at the courtyard's eastern side. The sky turned pale blue as the sun rose. "There," Sunset said, collapsing onto her belly. "I've...raised your sun for you. You'd better all be grateful." She panted, trying to catch her breath. It had been years since she'd last cast a spell, and she'd just performed a very difficult pair of them. "We are," the nearest guard said. "Believe us, we are." Sunset rolled over, onto her side. Her flank moved with the slow, regular breathing of a sleeping pony. Two brave maids dared to enter the courtyard, carrying blankets. *** Sunset woke to the scent of freshly grilled haybacon. "We asked around," a maid said. "Some ponies did remember what foods you used to like for breakfast, when you were here...before." Sunset asked herself, What would Celestia have done? Sunset smiled. "Thank you." "Oh, you're so welcome! Your highness!" The maid bowed low for a moment. Sunset shook off her blankets, and floated a piece of haybacon to her mouth. "This is delicious. I'd forgotten how good it tasted." Sunset tried several different dishes, washing them down with orange juice and coffee. Standing up, Sunset looked around at the squad of guards who still stood watch surrounding her. "First things first. Now how do we get Celestia back?" "What?" a guard said, looking vaguely ill. "The letter I was given said she might have been captured and held prisoner. So tell me, who might have her? What are their known weaknesses? Do they have demands?" Sunset exposed her teeth fiercely. "Can we CRUSH them, and make them SO VERY SORRY?" Sergeant Cloud Guard shook his head. "I never had a good chance to give you the second part of your briefing." Sunset nodded. "So start giving." The sergeant waved towards one of the buildings that enclosed the courtyard. While his squad shooed the maids out of the space, three other ponies joined Cloud and Sunset. Two were guardponies, and the third was Raven Quill, who Sunset recognized as one of Celestia's main 'right hoof ponies.' Raven said, "Our eyewitness accounts begin in Ponyville." "Ponyville?" Sunset said. "Sounds...KIND of familiar? Oh! That's the one-horse town that sends the Palace our Zap Apple jam every year." Raven took a deep breath. "Please try to keep up, your highness. You can interrupt when you have something to say that might be important." Sunset sighed. "I think YOU could audition for the role of Celestia's stand-in. Bossy, and good at putting a pony in wherever you think is her place." Raven bowed deeply. "Please forgive me, your majesty. It's been a very stressful and tiring day for all of us. I hear you did what had to be done, when other ponies thought it impossible for anycreature to accomplish it, and on very short notice, too. But we are here to help you. We simply want you to be as informed as possible, as befits a royal sovereign." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sorry. Please fill me in." Raven bowed, more hastily this time. "As I said, our eyewitness accounts begin in Ponyville."
And Everypony Loved HerPrincess Celestia rested on an extra large couch, in a temporarily requisitioned back room of Ponyville's Town Hall. One small nightlight barely weakened the night's darkness. She glanced at one of her several personal clocks. About half an hour later, it would be time to start the show. A dark, shadowy substance seeped under a door, and along the base of one wall. Celestia said, "I see you, dear sister. I am so, so sorry. I never meant to send you away for so long. But at least we've had time for both our tempers to cool. I do not know how to express the depth of my regrets." The shadowy cloud rose and coalesced, forming a midnight colored pony. A million tiny stars twinkled in her mane and tail. Steel armor, tempered to a deep blue color, covered much of her head and chest. "I doubt your regrets could ever be deep enough. Not for as long as you live." Through another door, a young mare's voice said, "But of COURSE I'm on the list. I'm Princess Celestia's personal student and protege. She and I are like THIS." The dark pony snorted, as her unicorn horn and her pegasus wings fully took shape. "How interesting. Your PERSONAL student." "Don't you dare touch her," Celestia hissed. "She has NOTHING to do with our old quarrels." A stallion's voice in the next room said, "I know her, and she's telling the truth, list or not. Let her in." The door opened, and a small purple unicorn mare walked in, carrying a book and a bundle of flowers. The pony of darkness had instantly moved between the door's back and the nearest wall, hiding herself from view for the moment. The door closed again. "Celestia?" the unicorn said. Her horn glowed softly, like a candle. "I just thought...while you're here...I made five new friends today, I think. Just like you asked for." Twilight prattled on cheerfully, about Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "I'm not sure about that last one," Twilight confided. "I think maybe she's a little...nuts. And Fluttershy seems to have some kind of social phobia...except she doesn't seem afraid of dragons at ALL, if you can believe that. Maybe she's infected with toxoplasmosis? She spends a LOT of time taking care of animals, so I suppose it would make sense. "Anyway...I wanted to make you happy and proud, and I hope I'm doing that. And here, I brought you some flowers." Celestia smiled at her protege. "Oh, Twilight. You shouldn't have." "But I wanted to. Because of...how I feel about you." Celestia's eyes darted almost imperceptibly towards the corner where her sister hid in the shadows. "I really meant that. You shouldn't have." Twilight sniffled. "Maybe I'm just a fool. But...you're a very special pony. I don't know anypony so kind, so wise, so beautiful..." "Twilight," Celestia said. "You should say no more, and go." "No!" Twilight insisted. "Maybe most ponies would say it's just a schoolgirl crush. But I know it's real. Now I understand why you sent me away from the Palace. At first I was heartbroken, but now I understand." Celestia gazed at Twilight, with unspoken sorrow in her eyes. Twilight said, "Princess, it's because if I was still a student in your school, it would be wrong for me to be in love with you. But now that I'm not, it's totally different. We're...colleagues. Fellow researchers. And it's only natural, that sometimes colleagues might fall in love. There's nothing wrong with it! It's ok!" "Oh, Twilight." Celestia's glance flicked over towards the corner again. "I'm not worthy of you. You should leave. Leave now." "Never!" the little unicorn said. "I love you. And I'll never give up on somepony as wonderful as you." In a dark corner of the room, somecreature chuckled softly. "Who's there?" Twilight demanded. Her horn lit up the room, and she stared at the shadowy colored creature. "Who...what ARE you?" The creature grinned, showing dangerous looking fangs. "Why...Twilight. With everything that she's taught you...hasn't my dear sister told you about her dear sister Luna? Or as some ponies call me, Nightmare Moon?" Twilight stared for a moment, and laughed. "Ok, Celestia. I know you love your little jokes. But how could anypony be expected to believe this? A creature from children's stories? The monster parents tell their foals about, to warn them against tooth decay?" The room grew colder. Frost formed in the windows' corners. The creature said, "I know not what foalish tales might be told using my name. But I am Celestia's only sister, by rights a ruler of Equestria." The night colored, twinkling-maned pony stepped out of the corner, and walked slowly around Twilight and Celestia. "Or might I say...by rights I am THE ruler of Equestria. After how my sister treated me, I think she has given up all rights to the throne. Or to anything else." "Twilight," Celestia said softly. "Run. Run as far and as fast as you can. Nopony is safe here." "Stay," Nightmare Moon said. "If you turn your back on me and run, I will strike you down. As the first installment in my 'DEAR' sister's just punishment." Celestia hissed, "You have no right! Do NOT try to punish me by hurting other ponies." Nightmare Moon smiled. "But why not? I know your game. She's still young enough that you would miss her." Celestia glared at her sister. "It's...not like that." "Oh, of COURSE it isn't. I remember what it was like. What YOU'RE like. Everypony loves you. You've had so many years of experience and practice, learning how to get other ponies to love you. Everypony worships you like a goddess. They would do anything to please you. Absolutely anything." Nightmare licked her lips. Twilight's head swiveled back and forth between her two elders, until finally she stared at the Nightmare. "What...are you JEALOUS?" Celestia shook her head. "If it would make you happy, dear sister, I would ask Twilight to serve you. I do not know whether she would be willing to do it, or for how long, but I would ask, if that was what you wanted. And if she loves me as you say, I suppose she would do it." "What?" Twilight squeaked. "You would...give me away to somepony as a present? How DARE you?" Twilight's forehoof ineffectively struck Celestia's flank. Nightmare chuckled. "Twilight? Now you understand just how much you mean to the pony you love so much. Or how little." Twilight breathed faster. Was it fear, or anger, or some of both, that moved her soft-furred, delicately fluffy chest? Nightmare eyed the unicorn's chest fluff with an ironic expression. "So, my dear sister. Does your 'dear student' even know about you? About how you used to pick out the most delicious little teen fillies, and occasionally a colt, and...'show them how much their princess loves them?'" "That was a different time," Celestia said in a flat, carefully controlled tone. "Ponies' ways were different then. Many ponies even married younger." "Yes," Luna said. "But not me. I never wanted a pony unless she or he was an adult. Because we are supposed to be ADULTS, Celestia. Not hormone-addled foals." Celestia grimaced. "It's not like that. I haven't had an affair with a teenager for...many hundreds of years." "Yes," Nightmare said. "Not that you'd admit to, at least." She eyed Twilight again. Twilight said angrily, "I don't know what history the two of you have. I don't know if Celestia is simply humoring a pile of terrible lies coming out of a disgusting, evil creature. Or maybe you're simply insane! That would make sense, when somecreature claims to be a fiction from a foal's tale." Nightmare snorted. "I don't know the fairy tales. I know only the truth." "You don't understand!" Celestia said. "Oh, I understand PERFECTLY. You always put on your big public ceremonies like the Raising of the Sun, and made your visits to teenagers' schools, with everypony spread out before you like the world was your own personal menu. And you took your pick." Celestia frowned. Luna said, "Oh, yes you did. You took what you wanted, and let them tell you how much they loved you. And you told them you loved them too...for a little while." Celestia took a deep breath, but said nothing. "And when you were done with them, DEAR sister of mine...when they started to show the smallest, slightest signs of age, then you tossed them away." Celestia finally spoke. "I...Luna, an alicorn is perfect, and flawless, and in her own way, ageless. We do not wrinkle, or grow gray hairs. Our bones and joints will never creak. We never grow old. Ordinary ponies age together, and that's the way it is. When one pony travels towards the boundaries of that strange country from which nopony ever returns, another pony goes with them. And that's only right, that they travel so, in the company of ponies like themselves. Ponies making the same journey, together." Luna sniffed. "So...you're still the same plucker of young fruit that you ever were. And the same cold, cruel discarder and destroyer of ponies' hearts." "I...I don't know what to tell you. But I've changed now, I have." "Hmmph. How have you changed?" "I did not speak of love to Twilight...not like that. I did not encourage her." "Encouragement does not have to be in words, my sister." "All I did was encourage her to grow into herself. Into a smarter, more capable self. And if that's a crime, every teacher is as guilty as I. Every good teacher, at least." "I still remember how you stole the pony I loved, 'dear sister.' You could have had a thousand...you DID have thousands, over the years. But when there was somepony my heart truly wanted...you took her first." "I am sorry for that. I never meant to do that. But what did you want me to do, tell her I didn't love her anymore? I hadn't even known you wanted her!" "You NEVER knew, Tia. You never wanted to know how you hurt so many ponies. You never wanted to know about my own feelings, how I felt so alone. Because everypony always loved you first, and me never." Twilight said, "I don't know what this is all about...but may I please be excused?" Luna chuckled again. "No, stay. Stay and get to truly know the pony who you think you love, with your pure, innocent heart." Celestia said, "It doesn't have to be like that. I have a new plan. A plan I've never told anypony. I've started a special school--" "A special school to feed your appetites? This does not sound new." "No! I'm trying to gather the most magically talented ponies, and have them taught how to become so skilled at magic, they might succeed in casting some form of alicorn ascension spell. So they will live forever, ageless as you and I." "Hmmph," Nightmare said. "So...I see. That's not the worst plan." Celestia nodded. "Thank you. So you see...I HAVE reformed." "Yes," Nightmare said. "Or maybe the 'alicorn ascension' plan is merely a thin excuse. You tell me a tale about 'ascension,' and in the meantime...you operate a school, with many young unicorns under your supervision. How NOVEL of you. You HAVE changed, SO much." She whinnied sarcastically. Twilight said, "I've been a fool." "Yes," Nightmare said. "You HAVE been. But at least you'll get to watch your false-hearted teacher Celestia die, which is something." Twilight stood up extra straight and tall...which brought her to maybe two thirds as tall as either of the other two ponies in the room. "Celestia's concerns go far beyond just me, or any one pony. I never knew about her alicorn ascension plan. But if her plan succeeds, someday Equestria will have a wealth of alicorns, each one full of powerful magic to help Equestria. That's more important than just one pony like me. With more alicorns--" Twilight's horn instantly changed from dim to almost sun-bright, her magic aiming for Nightmare's head. The potentially deadly bolt struck Nightmare's helmet, not her flesh, but enough nimbus caught the midnight mare's eyes and the rest of her face to blind her, at least for the moment. A beam of pure darkness exited Nightmare's horn. She might have intended to strike back at her attacker, but the sightlessly thrown blow went astray, passing over Twilight and blowing Celestia's head off. "No!" Twilight screamed, glancing back at her former mentor. She chanted mysterious syllables she'd discovered one evening in an ancient book, hidden within a Palace Library storage room. Within her mind and her horn, she combined those energies with a strange magical diagram she'd once seen in a used bookshop, a shop the Canterlot Guard had since closed down and burned. The energies hopped across the gap between Twilight's horn and Nightmare's body, like a tiny, dim spark. The room's door burst inward off its hinges, but to Twilight, the door seemed to move slowly. Maybe it was the Palace Guard, Twilight thought. Coming to save...nopony at all, now. It was all too late. Nopony important was still alive, Twilight felt. As the room's door opened, the still-solid Nightmare Moon fell beneath Twilight's spell. Nightmare's chest was ripped open and flayed, her ribs spread wide like a dragon's half-finished feast. *** "And how did you get eyewitness testimony about all this?" Sunset asked. She stared at Raven Quill and the scrolls laid out before her. "The Equestrian Guard has had a busy morning," a guardspony said. Sunset tried to remember his name...Sky Sentry. He had a nephew named Flash. "I can only imagine," Sunset said. "But how did you get this information? Is it reliable?" The guard said, "One of the Guard's experts in gently questioning traumatized witnesses spent hours with Twilight Sparkle. Not continuous questioning, there were a lot of breaks to try to calm and soothe." He added, "Guardsponies in the next room had overheard some of the conversation before the fight, but they didn't know whether or how to intervene without possibly making things worse, until the fight broke out and ended almost all at once, in only a few seconds. And as it happens, Ponyville is the home of one of Equestria's leading experts on animal-to-pony communication. She questioned several mice who live within the Town Hall, one snake, and one lizard." "Hmm," Sunset said. Sky Sentry suggested, "If you would like to see the scene of the...battle, I believe the Guard has it properly secured." Raven Quill raised one eyebrow at him. "Sometimes," Sentry said, "it can help a pony feel...maybe not better, but accept things better. Help a little with laying to rest old ghosts." I'm going to have at least one personal ghost out of this, Sunset thought. A big old ghost. One of the most important ponies in my life. Maybe THE most important pony in my life, right next to my own self. "I'd like that," Sunset said. "If Raven hasn't any serious objections." Raven gave Sentry a somewhat peeved look. She said, "I suppose. If the Guard is willing to take full responsibility. Would you be willing to take PERSONAL responsibility, Mister Sentry?" Sentry said, "As a Guardspony, I take full personal responsibility every day." To Sunset he added, "I do think we should be careful with your health, Princess Sunset Shimmer. We can carry you to Ponyville in a flying chariot, or in a royal railcar as part of a special express train." Sunset shrugged. "I suppose now I could just fly." She added hastily, "With full Guard escort, of course. I wouldn't want you to worry about 'my health.'" Raven remarked, "If you take a special train, your highness, we can bring as many officials and Guardsponies along as we like. That will facilitate more briefings, and enable us to make more progress on official business." Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yay, paperwork! Everypony loves paperwork." Sentry said, "Also, after your recent expenditure of personal energy in Equestria's service...if you need to get a little more rest, the railcar is well equipped for that." He whispered, "Royal napping car." Sunset shrugged. "Ok, I give up. What's the use of being a princess if you don't take advantage of the little perks? I'm sure it's faster to take the train than argue with you all."
Love Is a Stone-Cold Bitch"We've very carefully inspected the room," Sentry said, "but we haven't moved much. Forensics reserved the entire space, just in case." Sunset peered through the doorway, trying to see through the gaps between the partway open door, the surrounding doorframe, and Sentry himself. "May I have a clear view?" she asked. "Even...go inside?" Sentry shrugged. "There are no guarantees in this world, but I suppose at this point it's about as safe as anyplace else." He stepped sideways. "If you have any questions, or think you might need any help, just call out." Sunset frowned. She saw a pale, unmoving torso with twisted-looking limbs, not unlike a dead cow she'd seen in a butcher's shop once, in the human world. "It doesn't even look like a pony, not really." "Yes," Sentry agreed. "But it does tend to sneak up on you." Sunset stepped into the room. With a wider field of view, she noticed the now unponylike, midnight-dark corpse closer to one wall. "Wow," she said. "Looks like...I've seen scenes like this in human restaurants, only smaller. I guess this Twilight pony even cooked the Nightmare, well-done." "Yes. Twilight Sparkle was very thorough. I gather Twilight was fighting for her own life, and against the pony who had just threatened to kill the princess Twilight loved. Had just killed her, but maybe Twilight thought Celestia might still be saved, if help could arrive in time." Seeing the pale torso from another angle, Sunset felt a queasy shock of recognition. "Mom," she said. She felt cold and weak, and very, very small. Like a foal. A unicorn picked Sunset up bodily in a magical corona, pulling her out of the room. Another pony held a wastebasket in front of her face, and Sunset emptied her stomach. When her heaving had slowed to just occasional clenches within her belly, she said, "Mom," and cried. Somepony patted Sunset's shoulder as she screamed and wailed. "Mom! I don't think I can...how can I...you shouldn't have let this happen. You should have known better. Equestria needs you. I need you." "I know what it's like," a mareish voice said. Sunset turned to look. It was a purple unicorn. She had one forehoof on Sunset's shoulder. "You," Sunset said. "You of all ponies. Why are you of all ponies..." "Trying to comfort you?" the unicorn asked. "Yes. Aren't you--" "Twilight Sparkle, yes." Sunset remembered what Celestia used to do, mostly when Sunset was a little foal, but less often as she grew older. But whenever Sunset was deeply hurt and willing to admit it, it seemed Celestia was always there for her. Sunset asked, "May I...may I embrace you in my wings? Not that I'll be any good at it." Twilight put a foreleg partway around Sunset, hugging her. "You should. You should get to hug somepony. I should get to hug somepony too. Somecreature else, who..." Sunset wrapped her wings around Twilight, somewhat awkwardly at first. "You're right. By...I don't know what to swear by, anymore." "Swear by yourself," Twilight said sardonically. "Somepony has to." "Damn me to Tartarus," Sunset said. "If I'd only been here...if I'd only stayed...maybe it would have turned out differently." Twilight bared her teeth in a grimace, and made an odd sound in her throat. "I was here. I tried my very best to defend her. I thought, if only I could get off a first shot, just to distract the killer, the assassin...even if my body could block the first attack..." "You tried really hard, didn't you? Not that you thought or felt you had any other choice." "I would have died for her. The murderer...Nightmare, or Luna, or whatever her name was...the murderer told me I was wrong. And in a funny kind of way...I'm not sure Celestia was really arguing very hard. But the only thing I'm sorry about is that Celestia is dead, and I failed to save her." Sunset said, "I've seen and heard all the reports. The tactical analysts agree. You did your very best. You brought your very best to the fight that you didn't even know you'd be in, and you did your Celestia-blessed best to win it, even if it might cost you your own life. Your only mistake was, you were unlucky. Please don't torment yourself over it. Because that's the last thing Celestia would have wanted, for you to blame yourself." "But I...if only..." "There, there," Sunset nuzzled Twilight's cheek. "I've never met you before. I only know you through a very hurried investigation. But I think I know you a lot better than...a pony usually knows somepony they've never met before." "I don't know what to do with myself," Twilight said. "I had all these ideas about what to do in Ponyville, and with Celestia, all these plans...and now, nothing. Nothing at all. Everything that mattered to me is gone." Cloud Guard cleared his throat. "It's never easy," he said. "Losing somepony who's important to you. In the Guard...even if you're lucky enough that you never lose somepony who's so close to you...you still learn, sooner or later. You still know. Even if you mostly avoid it yourself, you still know ponies who...well. And it's something they officially teach us about, of course." Sunset took a deep breath. "Of course." Sunset looked into Twilight's eyes. "When I was a few years younger, my teacher told me I needed to make friends. But somehow, I never really got the knack of it. And now I meet somepony who, reliable reports say, has five friends in Ponyville, and I suppose more friends besides. Is it true you're friends with a dragon?" Twilight's mouth wrinkled, almost smiling. "I usually call him my brother. Although under dragon law, I might be his mother." "Really," Sunset said. "You don't say." "I didn't...YOU KNOW, with a dragon. I just hatched the egg. It was part of my entrance exam to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns." Sunset's lips pursed quizzically. "Whatever Celestia was to us...did it ever occur to you that she was kind of insane? I mean, really, expecting a little foal to be a dragon's mother. How did she ever come up with something like that?" "I don't know. She always was...a tricky one, in her own way. But most of her plans were well-meant, at least, and I believe they were wise, too. I wouldn't give up my little brother for anything. He's the best little brother in the whole world." "Twilight." Sunset patted Twilight's shoulder. "Will you help me learn about friendship?" Twilight nodded. "Let's learn about it together." With a sudden gasp, she started crying.
Epilogue"Knock, knock," Sunset's voice was muffled by the study's door. "Hi," Twilight replied. Her horn glowed softly, and the door opened. "So," Sunset said, "how are you doing?" Today she was magically disguised as a pink unicorn with a paler pink mane, as if most of Ponyville didn't already know what was going on with the pair's frequent back and forth visits between the podunk town and Canterlot. "Oh...fine, considering. What day it is and all." Sunset nodded. "Yes. What day it is. I had always thought she would last forever, but...I guess you have to do what you can. I know she would be very proud of you." "You too," Twilight insisted. She snorted, and half-grimaced impishly. "Especially since you used to be such a buck-up, running away to the human world and all...but then you turned your life around." "Yes. It's been kind of weird. I couldn't really be a good Princess-In-Chief AND exactly like my old self, so a lot of the time I've been trying to be a princess-in-chief like Celestia. What would Celestia do? I'd spent a lot of time with her, even at some official events, so I had a lot of experience to go by. But in the end, you have to be yourself, you know? Even years later, I'm still learning how to do that." "You're doing really well," Twilight said. "She would be proud of you." "I guess she'd be proud of both of us," Sunset agreed. "But I think I'd give almost anything to have her back, and not have had to prove the hard way how proud she could be of us." "I understand," Twilight said. "It's weird to think about, trying to guess how our lives might have been. Who we might be right now." "If Equestria hadn't suddenly needed me so much...would I have become a hardcore teenage delinquent? Become the leader of my own crappy little human street gang?" "I'm sure it would have been the BEST street gang. Maybe you could borrow a dragon from Equestria to intimidate people." "Hmm," Sunset said. "I don't know. I wonder if I'll ever have enough spare time now, to even visit the human world again. Speaking of freeing up some more of my time, how's the alicorn ascension spell research going this week? I mean, a spell to uplift and supercharge ponies who are morally worthy, good hearted ponies, and not just the rare jerk with the most powerful horn who happens to be strong enough to make the uplifting spell we have now work. Overpowered, one in a million jerks like me." Twilight shook her head. "You're not really a jerk. And in my alicorn ascension research...I'm still just finding new blind alleys, and new ways to be stuck." "That's my mare!" Sunset smiled. "When you finally run out of ways to be stuck, you'll have the problem licked!" "But I'm not sure it's the right answer," Twilight remarked. "Legends say, many thousands of years ago, before Celestia, the sun was raised and lowered by unicorns, working as a team." "Yeah, and legends ALSO say the unicorns burned out their horns doing it." "I don't think it has to be that way. I think there must be a way to do it safely, if we can get enough ponies working together for the common good. Because what we understood after Celestia died is right: relying on a single alicorn to raise and lower the sun is insane. It's just too risky. But teamwork could be the answer." "Well...maybe. So do you have any plans for the day?" "Sure," Twilight said. "Spend it with one of my best friends." "What a coincidence! Me too."
