A Desperate Last Choice

"You look beautiful, Princess Twilight," Celestia smiled, as she and Luna entered the room where Twilight currently getting ready for her coronation.

Twilight blushed, bowing her head. "Thank you, princess. I still don't think I'm ready though. Look what happened last time."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Yes. You bested the Legion of Doom, as you have done with many other threats to Equestria. I dare even say that you are overqualified to rule Equestria." She smirked. "Just look at Tia and me! We hadn't done a thing when we became princesses."

Celestia giggled. "Indeed. But through more trial and error than I care to admit, we earned it as well. Even Princess Platinum finally came around and became one of our most vocal supporters."

Her smile grew as she lay a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "And you will not be alone. Your friends and family will always be with you. And though we may retire, you will always have us to seek guidance from."

Twilight smiled. Well when it was put that way, it didn't sound so bad. Her whole family was here of course. Her parents, Shining, Cadance, and Flurry Heart. Even her Canterlot High friends were attending, after much pleading and many a sleepover to make up for her lack of visiting more often.

Again, there was a faint tug at the back of her mind when she thought of her Canterlot High friends. As if something vitally important was missing. Just as quickly though, it was gone, and Twilight pushed the inaccuracies between the two worlds to look at another day.

At that moment, Raven Inkwell stuck her head through the door. "Five minutes to show time, everypony. We can't be late for our own coronation now can we? Equestria needs this day. A day to celebrate after all we've been through recently."

Everypony giggled as the maids finished with the final work on Twilight's coronation dress. "Are you ready?" Luna asked.

Twilight did Cadance's breathing technique several times before her heart returned to a somewhat normal rhythm. "As I'll ever be."

The crowd cheered as Celestia and Luna appeared on the balcony. Down below, Twilight's Canterlot High's friends, even knowing something of the two from what the princess and Sunset had told them, suddenly felt very small. And yet, they could still feel the same love and warmth they always felt from Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna radiating from the two alicorns as well.

Celestia cleared her throat, and the cheering died down for the moment. "Citizens of Equestria and beyond! My sister and I have ruled this land for quite some time, but even we know that change eventually comes to us all. And though we know it can be unsettling, it's as natural as the rising and setting of the sun and the moon. Both of which my sister and I feel confident leaving in the hooves of the pony who will come after us."

If it was possible, the cheer that greeted this was even louder than before. Luna waited a moment before she raised a hoof for silence once more. "And so without further ado, I give you the new ruler of Equestria - Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

At that moment, Twilight stepped out onto the balcony as well, just barely managing not to trip on her coronation dress as she did. Celestia and Luna, however, saw the misstep, and smiled knowingly, while Twilight could only smile sheepishly.

Igniting their horns, the sisters removed their crowns, Floating them over to each other, the crowns merged together into one solid gold piece, emblazoned with Twilight's cutie mark on the front. As the glow faded from the newly forged crown, a pair of birds settled it slowly onto Twilight's head.

Surprisingly, for how large it looked, Twilight felt no real added weight from the crown, and it settled comfortably, almost seemingly to refit itself to her and her alone. Strange. Maybe it was just all of the excitement talking though, and she was imagining things.

Celestia and Luna made way so that Twilight could look out across the assembled crowd down below. "Hail, Princess Twilight! May her reign be as eternal as the Armor of Eternity itself!" Luna cried.

The roaring cheer was almost deafening now, as the Wonderbolts completed their flyover, a sonic boom left in their wake. And as Twilight waived to the crowd, her confidence growing by the second, a single thought came to her mind.

Yes. Everything was going to be just fine!

From a fold between dimensions, DIscord watched the coronation with a sad smile. "Good luck, Twilight. Whatever else you may face, you will never have to worry about me ever again."

"A wise choice," Cosmos chuckled, as she materialized next to the Lord of Chaos.

Discord only rolled his eyes. "You deleted their memories. As far as Equestria is concerned, Spike, AJ, Crash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Glim Glam never existed. Bringing in their human counterparts won't change a thing."

Cosmos nodded. "Yes. Twilight will never know just how she got to where she is today. And why you will always remember them. All of this. Remember just how much you failed."

Discord bowed his head. Point. "Did you really have to bring in your Guardians?"

Cosmos smiled. "Oh don't act surprised. Pearl will never be a problem. Kohaku had nothing to worry about. His kind has never existed in this universe. There was never going to be repercussions. They are my Guardians of Lost Souls for a reason."

Discord rolled his eyes, though he still did not understand why she had that to the two of them, before fading away. Cosmos stayed a time longer, watching as Twilight greeted each and every dignitary, no matter how long it may take, before she too faded away.